Non Profit Anti-Vandalism Group Seeks Foundation Grant

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) August 10, 2005 -- Graffiti Vandalism in the United States

Contemporary graffiti vandalism in the United States started with scribbling on the walls of Philadelphia and New York in the 1970�s. It has grown from that localized nuisance into a youth subculture with thousands of pro-graffiti websites and an aftermath of damage that spares few U.S. municipalities. It is estimated that those municipalities spend from $15 to $30 billion per year to combat the problem. But the bigger and more onerous cost is the growing subculture of youth with anti-social and anti-establishment values. Many of them have successive convictions for felony vandalism, and are eventually incarcerated. Many others have died in some of the high-risk acts supported by the subculture.
The problem is growing, causing communities that are already swimming in red ink, to make outlays to combat vandalism, while, at the same time, to witnessing their hope for the future � their youth � being forced to confront that future with the impairment of felony convictions and negative attitudes.
It is a tragic waste of our youth and a costly spiral that must be reversed!

Many people associate graffiti with street gangs. Although that linkage is valid, only 5% of the nation�s graffiti stems from street gangs. The bigger problem is tagger or �hip-hop� graffiti, which comprises approximately 95%.

The NoGraf Network

Despite the immense annual cost of graffiti, there is no formal linkage between the organizations and individuals involved in the effort, and no shared strategy for success. The NoGraf Network, a 501(C)3 non-profit corporation, attempts to fill the void of linkage.

The Nograf Network has a proposal that, when completed, will enable cities to fully evaluate their graffiti problem, and begin a campaign that will in the end, eliminate graffiti vandalism from their communities. The Nograf Network is run and maintained solely by volunteers, but has already made an enormous amount of headway in the elimination of graffiti in many communities. A copy of the proposal is available to any foundation or grant giving group that would like to be on the forefront of eliminating a 30+ billion a year problem.

More information can be found online at http://www.nograffiti.com

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