David Nanz, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Springfield Field Office announces Community Lifeline Family Resource Center in East St. Louis, Illinois, as the recipient of the 2022 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA).

This distinctive award, presented today by FBI Director Christopher Wray, was formally created in 1990 to publicly acknowledge the achievements of those working to make a difference in their communities through the promotion of education and the prevention of crime and violence. During today’s ceremony, Director Wray told the recipients: “Like the 38,000 employees of the FBI, you don’t do what you do for fame—and certainly not for fortune. You do it out of kindness, out of compassion for others, out of a hope and a dream for safer communities....to leave your towns and cities better places than when you got there. And that’s how I’ve defined success here within our organization, too. Success to me is if everyone leaves the FBI a better place than they found it.”

The FBI’s 56 field offices select the recipients annually for this honor. Community Lifeline Family Resource Center is recognized for its efforts to care for crime victims and their families.

“The FBI works closely with community organizations like Community Lifeline Family Resource Center in order to fulfill our mission to protect the American people,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “Collaboration such as this helps us both make our communities safer and better places to live.”

Established in 2004, Community Lifeline and Family Resource Center is a nonprofit organization that provides programs to address the educational, physical, social, and spiritual needs of families in their community. The organization’s mission is to rebuild communities from the inside out with comprehensive programs and community partnerships designed to transform the lives of urban youth and families through education, health, economics, and community development.

Wyvetta Granger, founder and director of Community Lifeline Family Resource Center said, “It is our hope that as community organizations, law enforcement, and schools build partnerships, it will also build trust. And this trust; combined with effective communication and cooperation between concerned citizens, victims of violence, and law enforcement, will create a table of diverse perspectives to reduce crime and solve other systemic complex community problems. It is my belief that we are creating a model to do just that, and in doing so, we are providing a LIFELINE to our community.”

More information about Community Lifeline Family Resource Center can be found on their webpage: https://www.communitylifelineestlnp.org/home.