LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lexington reported significantly fewer homicides in 2024 compared to years past.
Now, ONE Lexington, the communities’ gun violence prevention and awareness organization, is focusing its efforts on reducing gun violence at a young age.
Today, they presented a check to Fayette County Public Schools, which will be segmented into 17 grants going to different family resource and youth services centers across the state.
"First off, it's a huge blessing," said Raine Minichan, the school district’s associate director in the office of student support.
This is the third year Fayette County Public Schools has received grants from ONE Lexington. But they have never gotten $26,000.
“That’s the beauty. In my mind, that's the purpose of schools,” Minichan added. “To educate our students, but also to help them be productive and healthy citizens."
"I'm already sorting ideas,” added Carmen Cotto with the Cardinal Valley Elementary School’s Family Resource Center.
This is the second year in a row Cardinal Valley benefited from this investment.
She can choose to use this funding in any way she wants to, whether it's mental health services for students affected by gun violence or extracurricular activities to keep kids busy out of school.
"God knows the future is theirs,” said Cotto.
As Cotto, Minichan, and the other educators in that building believe, if you pour attention, empathy, and love into these students, there’s no telling what their future may hold.
“If we work together as a community, not just through financial, but also through the investment of time, in our youth, then we can really help that trajectory to continue to show that data that we want to show,” concluded Minichan. “A decrease in violence, an increase in positive impacts for both our students and the community as a whole."
