Youth ALIVE!, The HAVI, and NICJR Host Oakland Press Conference
Community Violence Intervention Works. Fund It.
Today, Youth ALIVE! joined forces with national and local leaders in public health and justice reform to sound the alarm: Community Violence Intervention (CVI) works—and it must be funded.
At a powerful press conference held in Oakland, our Executive Director Joseph Griffin, DrPH stood alongside Dr. Kyndra Simmons, Youth ALIVE! Board Member and representative of the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI), and David Muhammad, Executive Director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR), to call attention to the deep and dangerous impact of recent federal CVI funding cuts.
These cuts threaten to disrupt lifesaving services that communities rely on every day—services that prevent violence, support survivors, and create a pathway toward healing. They also jeopardize good, meaningful jobs held by trusted community members who work every day to stop violence before it starts.
We were honored to be joined by a powerful network of supporters and allies, including Anne Marks, Jamie Schenker, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Mike McLively of GIFFORDS, and representatives from the offices of Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, and State Assemblymember Mia Bonta. Their presence underscored the urgency of this moment and the broad support for CVI as a critical public health strategy.
A special thank you to our Policy and Advocacy Director Gabriel Garcia and Director of Development and Communications Lauren Greenberg for helping lead the coordination of this convening.
At Youth ALIVE!, we know that violence is preventable—not inevitable. Every day, our team works to interrupt cycles of harm and invest in life, hope, and opportunity. We save lives. And now, our work—and our communities—must be protected.
Join us in the call to action: Fund Community Violence Intervention.
#FundCVI #SaveCVI #YouthAlive #ViolencePrevention #PublicHealth #HealingJustice #OaklandStrong