CELEBRATING A LOCAL GRANTEE WHO IS DEDICATED TO HER COMMUNITY: TAWANA WATTS
We are proud to highlight one of this year’s grantees of funding from The Chicago Fund for Safe and Peaceful Communities, Tawana Watts! Watts is the Founder and Executive Director of BéBè’s Ark – a nonprofit dedicated to creating a safe space for kids who lost their parents by the hand of another human. Inspired by the loss of her son to gun violence in 2020 who left behind six kids, and the loss of her sister from a fatal car accident who also left behind young children, Watts was moved to make a difference.
Tawana Watts is the embodiment of perseverance, dedication and consistency, as she had applied for the grant opportunity for three years before finally being awarded $5,000 in 2024. In a recent interview with our Marketing & Development team, Tawana shared her gratitude for the ACT team for help along the application process and for getting the word out about her organization to community members and potential partners alike:
“ACT would share about BéBè’s Ark, and how passionate [I] was about the youth…when you have community partners that see that you’re serious about what you’re saying and you want to do, they will come alongside you and start connecting you with people – when I speak of community partners, ACT is one of those very first community partners in Austin for me.”
Watts gave a special shoutout to Emone Moore, ACT’s Engagement Coordinator, and his efforts in helping her strengthen her application for the grant. Emone was able to review Watts’s initial application, providing helpful expertise and feedback that boosted her confidence around the application.
“It was a learning process to make sure that I had an understanding of this application, so when it comes to [the] next year, I [wouldn’t] be so afraid to fill it out. Originally, I wanted to apply, but I said ‘no’, because I didn’t want to get turned down again. Not only did Emone help, but he also taught me so much.”
Watts will use the grant to host a series of summer block club resource fairs as safe spaces for youth and community members of all ages to learn about the services and opportunities available to them. Her advice for anyone looking to apply for the Safe and Peaceful grant is:
“Don’t give up, and make sure that you are networking and connecting with people, because you cannot do it alone.”
Congratulations to all of this year’s grantees! If you or anyone you know are interested in learning more about the Safe and Peaceful grant, feel free to check out their website here.
