Impact on Youth & Families –
Shootings and homicides have increased this year in Oakland and there are many reasons why. This article in The Guardian considers various causes for the increase but, more importantly, it describes in painful detail the toll this violence is taking on youth, families, and on those who are out there trying to provide support to victims. It features thougthful commentary from Youth ALIVE!’s Deputy Director John Torres and our Khadafy Washington Project Coordinator Jasmine Hardison, whose team of crisis responders supports families of homicide victims in the immediate aftermath of a killing. In the article, Jasmine discusses her own painful journey toward healing and what she is seeing in Oakland this year: “Mothers are scrambling and holding each other up. I’ve walked in those shoes so I can help them with getting their loved ones’ arrangements together and at the same time keep my son’s legacy alive.”