And We’re Listening
Clients & Staff Shared Their Stories for Change
“When survivors speak, change happens,” hundreds of rally participants chanted as they marched State Capital at Sacramento to begin the Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice (CSSJ) California Survivors Speak Conference and Rally. The rally and conference previewed this week’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and its theme: Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.
Youth ALIVE! staff and clients joined dozens of other violence prevention and intervention groups from across California to amplify the voices of survivors about their own experiences of violence and a path forward. “It’s impactful and important for me to be here with the person that has supported me and my family from the beginning with me losing my son,” Ishmael Wesley, a Youth ALIVE! client said.
This peaceful movement uses many voices raised in unity as the core of its power, and Youth ALIVE! is part of that power. Our work offers survivors a community and invites them into the halls of power as participants of change making. “We are strategically positioned to listen to the perspective experiences of victims of violent crime and the barriers they experience across different systems. Not many organizations can (1) hear those voices and (2) can then translate those experiences, those needs, into policy change. And because we can do both, we can call for and create policies that will have a statewide effect…” said Youth ALIVE! Policy and Advocacy Director, Gabriel Garcia.
Our seven policy priorities include treating violence with a public health approach and healing trauma survivors. This legislative session we are focused specifically on the following bills making their way through Sacramento:
- Co-sponsor SB 655 (Durazo) Equitable Access to Victim Compensation
- Co-Sponsor SB 838 (Menjivar) Equal Access for Victims of Police Violence
- Strong Support for AB 28 (Gabriel) California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Grant Program
This work is about people who, despite personal pain, know that when they speak change happens. “Survivors Speak allowed me the opportunity to meet amazing people and at the same time continue to heal through my process of recovery. I was able to laugh as well as cry during the event. Seeing strength in other people gave me strength as well,” Ishmael shared. You can participate in National Crime Victims’ Rights Week this week, or support violence prevention work at any time, by submitting a letter of support for related legislation or create an opportunity for survivors to share their stories by hosting a Meet Youth ALIVE! Tour.