The Hope Task Force on Monday told the Euclid Executive Finance Committee it has moved from research and listening sessions into implementation steps aimed at reducing gun violence and strengthening community connections.

The task force presented a timeline of work that began with a December 2022 city presentation, moved through listening sessions and expert panels, produced a May visioning session and a June report, and now enters an implementation and evaluation phase that the steering committee expects to complete this fall. Task-force leaders said the effort focuses on youth safety, neighborhood connection, trauma-informed services and restorative practices, and on coordinating existing services to reduce duplication and reach residents who are not currently engaged.

Pam Terros, a co‑chair of the Hope Task Force, told the committee the group has emphasized resident voice in planning and has restructured into a steering committee so partner organizations can report every other month on progress. "We want to be the place that will connect you with resident voice and volunteers," Terros said, noting the group’s role in linking residents, service providers and city efforts.

Mark Chupp, professor and director of the Community Innovation Network at Case Western Reserve University and a research partner for the task force, summarized the project’s phases and evidence base. Chupp said the task force compiled a 28‑page annotated bibliography of national research and used expert panels and a youth panel to shape local proposals. He cited a slide quoting public‑health researcher Ed Bartstale: "Communities cannot arrest their way out of violence," and said the task force’s work emphasizes prevention, coordination and shared accountability among schools, public health and law enforcement.

Task‑force members described five strategy areas that came out of the visioning session: youth safety and programming (including youth ambassadors and healing circles); community connectedness and neighborhood problem‑solving; addressing social and economic root causes; trauma‑informed supports and outreach; and institutional coordination across city agencies, schools, faith groups and nonprofits. Candace Jones, a task‑force member, said the group has held 24 meetings and events with partners and 36 "neighbor nights"—regular resident gatherings that alternate between open forums and educational sessions.

The group highlighted several near‑term initiatives already under way: a restorative‑justice pilot at the high school (task‑force members said five students participated in the first round), coordination with the reopening plans for the rec center and library, a Strong Families/Strong Neighborhoods collaborative run by the Meredith Taylor Group, and training courses in restorative practice being taken by five task‑force members and school staff.

Task‑force cofounder Tanika Hill described outreach work and the group’s presence at community events. Volunteer coordinator Dania Flannoy said residents repeatedly asked for adults to take responsibility for community safety and for easier access to existing programs. "There is a will to bring us all together," Flannoy said of interactions at neighborhood nights and community tables.

Several council members pressed for specifics. Councilwoman Hannam asked how the task force would reach residents who do not attend meetings; task‑force members said outreach must "meet people where they are" — by attending school events, faith‑community gatherings and other places residents already go — and by publishing information in more visible, distributed ways (bulletin boards, business windows and a proposed consolidated events calendar that pulls multiple organizations’ calendars together). Councilman Told asked how the effort would reach adults; presenters described plans to partner with county violence‑prevention offices and experienced "credible messengers" — community members with lived experience who intervene to de‑escalate conflicts — and noted county hiring programs for those roles.

The task force also described an organizational next step: it has applied for funding to hire a full‑time community organizer to coordinate volunteers, partners and resident engagement. Leaders asked the city to keep the task force visible in ward newsletters and other constituent communications as the group ramps up work next year.

No legislation or binding city policy was proposed at the meeting. The committee received the update and asked the task force to continue providing materials: the team said a final evaluation and report to the city, library and schools will be submitted by the end of October, and that the annotated bibliography and other reports are available on request.

The committee and task‑force presenters also discussed program design details: reducing barriers to participation (fees, transportation and scheduling), training rec‑center staff in trauma‑informed de‑escalation techniques, and using restorative circles to keep students in school rather than issuing short suspensions. The presenters repeatedly emphasized that Euclid already has many resources but that better coordination and more accessible communication are needed so residents who are not currently reached can take part.

Next steps: the Hope Task Force expects to complete its steering‑committee restructuring and deliver final evaluation materials by October; it will continue bimonthly partner reporting, pursue funding for a paid community organizer, and collaborate with county violence‑prevention efforts on hiring and deploying credible messengers.

Votes at a glance: two routine procedural motions were recorded during the meeting — a motion to excuse three council members (moved by Hamm; seconded by Gresham; outcome: approved by voice) and a motion to adjourn (moved by Tilton; seconded by Wotilla; outcome: approved by voice).