Washington, D.C., Sep 6 - Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) today announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency will award $355,558 to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of El Paso.

The funding will support the Mentoring Enhancement Demonstration Program which aims to foster collaboration among qualified and established mentoring programs.  The program will work to improve the effectiveness of mentoring through increased advocacy and teaching training of mentors.

“I congratulate Big Brothers and Big Sisters for the work they do to mentor our youth,” said Congressman Reyes. “These are the kinds of programs that will help keep El Paso among the safest cities in the U.S. in the years ahead."

The Office of Juvenile Justice Department Programs (OJJDP), a component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, accomplishes its mission by supporting states, local communities, and tribal jurisdictions in their efforts to develop and implement effective programs for juveniles. The Office strives to strengthen the juvenile justice system's efforts to protect public safety, hold offenders accountable, and provide services that address the needs of youth and their families.