ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The City of Rockford has been awarded grants to continue its work in preventing violence.

The grants are from the state and other organizations. The agencies that received them are already making an impact in the city.

“There is an old proverb saying that healthy bodies need healthy minds, so I believe that mental health is very important,” said Rockford Township Trustee Mustafa Abdall.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money was accepted at Monday night’s committee meeting. The Mayor’s Office of Domestic and Community Violence Prevention plays a big role in applying for these awards.

“These are very data specific that the Peace Center is able to watch and monitor and figure out which ones work and which ones don’t. If a grant isn’t working, the next year will, you know, perhaps we don’t apply for that specific grant, right,” said 4th Ward Alderman Kevin Frost. “So, it’s really going to help kind of narrow down and figure out what’s successful in our community to do it to attack these problems.”

The new resources will not cost taxpayers, since the grant funding comes from the state and other organizations.

“We don’t have enough resources, so decisions will offer more resources, so I hope that will be done,” Abdall said. “They have all that realization, like, for to be able to apply and get it.”

One award is for inclusive wellness programming at Rockford’s Family Peace Center. It will increase the mental health support for survivors.

“Her team has been very, very successful of pursuing these grants and being successful in landing the grants and actually winning the grants, so yes, it’s been fantastic,” Frost said. “We have so many grants that we’re approving tonight that we’ve won, and hopefully, again, we’re going to be able to make a difference.”

The Finance and Personnel Committee also approved renewing the lease agreement between the City and the Family Peace Center on Monday night.