AUSTIN (KXAN) — Searching for a sense of belonging and family, Saulo Cooper wound up in a gang as a teenager. It would lead him to 11 years total, behind bars. "I was shot at, I shot at people," Cooper said. "I searched for family outside of a family unit. I didn't have one. And wound up somewh ere I really didn't want to be." Cooper said his two brothers also wound up in prison, accused of capital murder. Saulo Cooper, Community Violence Prevention Leader childhood photos. (Photo provided by Saulo Cooper). Saulo Cooper, Community Violence Prevention Leader childhood photos. (Photo provided by Saulo Cooper). Years later, Cooper has turned his pain into purpose. He's now is a Community Violence Prevention leader and has even won awards for his work. He works with various groups, going out in neighborhoods to try to prevent the same type of violence that he got caught up in. ‘Austinites deserve better than this’: Austin won’t get almost $10 million in requested federal funding Because of what he's been through, and being on the other side of it all now, it weighs heavily on him knowing federal money dedicated to the very programs that helped turn his life around won't be available for the City of Austin this year. "It's sad, because the truth is, I'm here and alive because of education," Cooper said. "It's important for society to see what education and equipping [people with the right resources] can do for a felon." Saulo Cooper, Community Violence Prevention Leader volunteer work. (Photo provided by Saulo Cooper). Saulo Cooper, Community Violence Prevention Leader volunteer work. (Photo provided by Saulo Cooper). The city of Austin will miss out on about $9.7 million worth of federal funding that had been requested for various projects. That includes $1,184,000 for the Austin Violence Intervention Program. No ‘unified process’ to track Austin criminals who shouldn’t have guns President Trump signed legislation last week that funds the government through the end of September, averting a partial government shutdown. The law also shelved all pending requests for Congressional Community Funding (CCF). CCF requests are funds provided by Congress. The funds are directed by members of Congress to specific projects within their own districts. Austin has received about $23.6 million of funding through the program since Fiscal Year 2022, according to a press release from the city Friday. The Austin Violence Prevention Program funds are funneled through the City of Austin's Office of Violence Prevention, according to community violence prevention nonprofit Life Anew. Cooper, who also works with Life Anew, said some of the federal funds were used for things like helping pay for counseling services, staff, supplies, food for community events and more. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, is also nervous what this could mean for the city overall, this year he told KXAN's Grace Reader on Wednesday. "We're going to be facing a budget cycle this time, that is going to be a difficult budget cycle," Watson said. Austin Public Health oversees the Office of Violence Prevention, where the federal funds for the violence intervention project would have been funneled through.    However, it wouldn't do an interview, and did not answer KXAN's specific questions about what the federal money lost would have gone toward holistically. It provided KXAN with a statement. Austin Public Health’s current community violence intervention work is not affected by this development and the department will be able to continue its investments for this essential service to our community." Austin Public Health Still, in the meantime, Cooper plans to community fundraise to help possibly offset any impact to losing federal money. "True light always shines brighter in the darkness," Cooper said. ...read more read less