Organizers of the Bull City Future Fund have disbursed the first round of money to community groups in Durham who work with young people.
A total of about $305,000 will be split among 15 organizations, including Sidekicks Academy, the POOF Teen Center, and El Futuro.
Other WRAL Top Stories
Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams started the Fund months ago, working with the United Way and the Triangle Community Foundation.
He believes not enough is being done to stop violent crime, especially among young people.
"I woke up on a Sunday morning really frustrated, tears in my eyes, just thinking, what are we going to do about the youth in our city?” Williams said. "We just aren't responding as a city. Like, what we're talking about right now is, while they're all important issues, we're talking about converting one way streets to two way. We're not talking about the kids dying on the streets as much."
Williams said the fund is an opportunity for the community to invest back into itself.
"I think this is an effective component of our overall response that's needed. Right now, I've said often I want to have Durham have the most robust public safety apparatus in the nation. That includes a large component of how we invest early into our kids, our young people,” he explained.
Destiny Alexander has been running the POOF Teen Center with her own money and community donations for five years.
The non-profit works with teenagers between 13 and 18 on entrepreneurship opportunities and includes a travel component.
“We all see it, the need for our teens to have a safe space, a place where they can feel comfortable and show up to every single day and that's what we have provided here in east Durham,” Alexander said.
Alexander said the money from the Bull City Future Fund is a one-time stipend, but it gives her non-profit breathing room after struggling to pay rent.
“Any additional funding that can go directly to the kids, that is the biggest plus for me. As long as we can have funding to keep kids off the streets, of course it'll make a difference,” Alexander said. “Even the name of this grant, Bull City Fund, it's exciting to be in that number!"
The need in Durham
Eleven people under the age of 18 have been shot in the Bull City so far this year.
The Durham Police Department’s first quarter crime report, covering January through March, showed the number of juvenile offenses doubled when compared to the same three month time period of 2024.
Williams shared frustration over what he sees as a lack of action by the City.
“We took away Bull City United. We took away Shotspotter. And we haven't done a damn thing else. I'm showing where my priorities are. I don't wanna talk, I don't wanna get technical. I don't need Duke to do a study to show me how effective Shotspotter was or not,” Williams said. “What I care about is how are we gonna respond to the people that are emailing me and calling me and inboxing me saying, 'I lost my son.'"
Williams says the Bull City Future Fund is a community-driven initiative to invest in organizations that have proven they can sustain themselves and are making a difference.
"I don't have patience to wait. I don't have the patience to make this the number one policy concern of any other elected official in the city or county of Durham. I'm just gonna do it, and when everyone else is ready to get on board, I'm here with them. I'm ready to go with them,” Williams said.
The community can support the fund by donating online.