DEAR COMMUNITY,
It is my honor to welcome you to Youth Alive’s 2024–2025 Annual Report: Showed Up & Showed Out. I cannot think of an expression that better encapsulates this incredible organization—one that has touched thousands of lives, including my own.
I am a proud Latina raised in deep East Oakland. I have grit, tenacity, and a strong sense of community. Violence wasn’t just in the streets—it was in our home, in our schools, and it followed us daily. I was a teenager with no roadmap, no clear way out.
That changed the day I stepped into a Teens on Target (TNT) workshop at Castlemont High School. Youth Alive introduced me to mentors who told me I mattered, who believed I had a future. TNT didn’t just teach me public speaking or leadership—it helped me believe I could create something different for myself and for my community. Whether it be in graduate school or in the boardroom, I learned that I belong. Today, I have a fulfilling career, a beautiful family, and the opportunity to give back to the community that raised me. The fact is: my life was also a life saved—because Youth Alive showed up for me
And let’s talk about all the ways Youth Alive shows up:
• Youth Alive prevents violence through credible messengers and community intervention
• Youth Alive heals trauma with wraparound care and survivor support
• Youth Alive cultivates leaders who turn their pain into purpose
• Youth Alive helps students graduate and envision thriving futures
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Founded in 1991, today Youth Alive is Oakland’s anchor agency for violence prevention, intervention, healing and advocacy. Our programs are designed to enter the lives of those affected by violence at multiple stages of exposure:
1) Teens on Target (TNT), our youth leadership and violence prevention peer education program; 2) Caught in the Crossfire, the nation’s first Hospital-based Violence Intervention Program (HVIP), meets survivors immediately after a violent assault to discourage retaliation and provide support on their path away from trauma and back to school, work, and the community; 3) Pathways assists youth emerging from Juvenile Hall or at-risk for academic failure with intensive
• Youth Alive expands access to mental health care rooted in culture and community
• Youth Alive shapes public policy through testimony and technical assistance
• Youth Alive connects communities as a trusted convener and coalition builder This organization is Oakland’s heartbeat. Your support ensures that we can keep showing up—for every young person like me, and for every neighborhood still waiting for peace.
Con gratitud y esperanza,
Sarah Chavez-Yoell Board Chair,
Youth Alive
case management, life mapping and mentoring; 4) Violence Interruption, a team of credible messengers with experience in the streets of Oakland mediates conflicts between groups or individuals, defusing tense situations and finding solutions before the guns come out; 5) Khadafy Washington Project is our homicide crisis response program offering emotional, practical, and financial support to nearly 100% of families affected by homicide in Oakland immediately after a killing; 6) Counseling Services provides therapists trained in treating trauma, free of charge; 7) Advocacy for Change works with TNT youth leaders and clients from all of our programs to create and support strong public safety and equity policy at all levels of government.
DONATION IMPACT
$50K runs one of our Teens on Target violence prevention program sites for 6 months.
$25K helps 2 grieving families bury a loved one if the state denies their appeal.
$10K teaches 300 middle school students the skills to talk a friend out of using a gun.
$5K provides 10 gunshot wound survivors with services proven to prevent re-injury, retaliation, and further violence.
$1K covers a TNT student’s stipend, a critical first paycheck for many.
$250 amplifies the story of a survivor advocating for systemic change.
2024 EXPENSES $ 7,405,426
Youth Alive accepts donations by mail or online. We welcome one-time gifts or monthly recurring donations. Please also consider remembering us in your estate planning and becoming a member of our Legacy of Healing Circle. Find out more at YouthAlive.org or email lgreenberg@YouthAlive.org
PREVENTION
TEENS ON TARGET
At Teens on Target (TNT), students from Oakland’s neighborhoods most affected by violence learn to honor their own stories, to use their experience to make change, and to teach their peers to prevent and avoid violence. TNT also provides work experience. Paying students for developing violence prevention expertise and presentation skills reinforces the importance of their violence prevention efforts.
In the 2024-2025 School Year, TNT engaged 140 Youth Leaders who:
• Presented 77 workshops to 159 middle school students at 7 OUSD middle schools
• Participated in 45 community engagements
• Received 1984 hours of 1:1 mentorship from our staff of professional Violence Prevention Educators
After our 2024-2025 program, among TNT Youth surveyed:
• 88% recognized the dangers of joining a gang
• 63% helped prevent a fight or violence by mediating a conflict in the past six months
• 60% would talk a friend out of carrying a gun
TNT feels more like a family than a program. I learned financial responsibility and how to fill out a resume. My mentors taught me how to advocate for myself and for my community.
—Davyonna, Castlemont High School
ADVOCACY FOR CHANGE
To push for permanent, systemic solutions to the daily violence terrorizing our communities and city, Youth Alive’s Advocacy for Change (A4C) program raises the voices of those most affected by violence. Through A4C, the Youth Alive family–including clients, survivors, program staff, and our Teens on Target youth leaders–address city, state and federal leaders to advocate for sensible policies that reduce community violence and promote a public health approach to violence prevention.
STATE
In 2024 Youth Alive sponsored 2 bills in the CA State Capitol addressing the experiences of victims and survivors of violence:
• AB 2913: Would create a pathway for the families of homicide victims to request renewed investigative resources on their loved one’s case if it remains unsolved for longer than one year
• SB 838: Would expand eligibility for the Victim Compensation Program by making victims of police violence eligible and remove requirements for their families to cooperate with police
LOCAL
Youth Alive helped pass Measure NN, the renewal of Measure Z, a dedicated local fund for public safety needs in Oakland, which was set to expire in 2024
PLENARIES, PANELS, & PRESENTATIONS:
• Presented about our policy work to fund violence prevention and intervention through a tax on firearms and ammunition at the 2024 Giffords Community Violence Intervention Conference
• Presented to Local Progress, a national organization of local elected officials seeking progressive policies they can bring to their jurisdictions
• Presented about our work to develop a scorecard for state victim compensation at the Center for American Progress’ Gun Violence Prevention Summit in Washington DC
• Our Policy and Advocacy Director was a featured speaker at the States United to Prevent Gun Violence Conference in Washington DC
Took 6 of our student leaders to the California State Capitol in Sacramento to meet with the offices of State Senator Nancy Skinner, and Assemblymembers Mia Bonta and Buffy Wicks
CLIENT VOICE
Held a roundtable discussion with 6 community members who have been inflicted with a spinal cord injury (SCI) as a result of violence
In our local group of Moms Demand Action, we proudly support and value Youth Alive as a powerful force for healing and hope. By developing young leaders, breaking cycles of retaliatory violence, and offering vital counseling and support to survivors, they are not only saving lives - they are building a future rooted in strength, resilience, and peace.
—Alden Masone, Local Group Lead Marin Moms Demand Action
YOUTH VOICE
VIOLENCE INTERRUPTERS INTERVENTION
In area teams, Youth Alive’s Violence Interrupters (VIs) take to the streets of Oakland at all hours, going wherever violent conflict or escalation is brewing. Their role is to engage those involved, offer alternative solutions, promote peaceful resolutions, and defuse tensions before guns come out. VIs come from the very communities and neighborhoods where they now work to save lives. A vital part of this team are our School-Based Violence Interrupters (SBVIs), embedded at five high schools: Castlemont, Skyline, Rudsdale, Dewey, and Oakland High. Our SBVIs build trust with students directly on campus, creating safer school environments by supporting them through challenges, preventing violence, and connecting young people to resources and opportunities that help them thrive.
In 2024, our Violence Interrupters:
» Conducted 424 mediations and resolved 385 conflicts without further violence
» Completed 112 safety assessments at the hospital bedsides of shooting victims and another 85 community safety assessments following a shooting or homicide
» SBVIs completed a total of 263 school-based mediations
Being a violence interrupter is about trust and showing up for people, especially the youngsters we work with. I show up, let them know I’m there for them, that I care for them, that I can be their hope shot. Simple as that.
—Carla Ashford, Violence Interrupter
CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE
Through Caught in the Crossfire (CiC), the firstever Hospital-based Violence Intervention Program (HVIP), Youth Alive staff meet survivors of violence at their hospital bedsides to:
1. Convince them, their friends and family not to retaliate; and
2. Offer ongoing personal support focused on safety, healing and growth.
CiC Intervention Specialists–credible messengers of change recruited from the community we serve–address both the urgent need for violence intervention
PATHWAYS
Pathways in Youth Alive’s mentoring case management program for youth vulnerable to exposure to violence, on probation, or returning from a period of incarceration. Our model involves regular, consistent contact with a focus on positive adult attention. Our program is also embedded at Castlemont, Rudsdale, Skyline, and Lighthouse Community Charter Schools.
and the ongoing service needs of survivors, helping them get back to school, work and life.
In 2024, CiC:
» Served 113 clients. Of those 113, only 1 was reinjured
» 64 received assistance in attaining Victim of Crime compensation
» 22 received help with an education plan
» 17 received help with employment
» 12 received housing assistance
I’m honored and grateful for the support and encouragement from Youth Alive for giving me a chance, and Mr. Eric Crutcher as well, for always giving me words of wisdom. He is a great, inspirational coach — a great man and like a big brother I never had before.
—Pathways Participant, 2025
In 2024, Pathways:
» Mentored 74 youth, 28 of whom enrolled in school, 4 of whom completed probation
» Supported 17 youth in attaining employment
» Provided 39 youth with legal advocacy or court accompaniment
SHOWED UP & SHOWED OUT
Youth Alive in the Community: Part of what makes Youth Alive’s work innovative and effective is that the bulk of our programs and services take place out in the field in our community. You’ll find us at schools and parks, in neighborhoods and on the street; at hospital bedsides and at the homes of survivors; at conferences, on college tours, at the State Capitol and City Hall. Wherever our community is, Youth Alive shows up, and shows out. All of our staff—whether on the frontlines or working behind the scenes—share a common vision: a safe Oakland, free from violence, full of life.
KHADAFY WASHINGTON PROJECT HEALING
The Khadafy Washington Project (KWP) sends crisis responders into the immediate aftermath of each Oakland homicide to support families and friends of the victim. Named for the murdered son of its founder, KWP provides emergency financial assistance, relocation services, urgent help applying for victim compensation and planning funerals. KWP staff and Youth Alive counselors hold regular healing circles for families of Oakland homicide victims.
In 2024, KWP Crisis Responders served:
» 86 families of homicide victims including some outside of Oakland
» 18 participants in 12 Circle of Care healing sessions
» Other support events included: paint parties, a summer picnic, holiday Glofari excursion, distribution of Mother’s Day and holiday gifts and food parcels
—KWP Client, 2025 “
I could not have done any of this without your help and support, whether it was morally or financially. You took a huge load off of me and my family. I can tell that you are a really good person and have a great heart. Thank you for everything that you have done for me through this difficult process.
COUNSELING SERVICES
Youth Alive mental health counselors bring therapeutic services into the field, meeting survivors wherever they feel safe and comfortable. They provide communitybased care in collaboration with our Intervention Specialists, who are trained in recognizing the symptoms of trauma that occur in survivors of violence. Youth Alive counselors work with each client to create a personalized road map to healing. Mental health counseling, like all of Youth Alive’s services, is provided free of charge.
In 2024, our counseling staff:
» Served 91 clients
» Provided 2213 hours hours of services
I knew I needed therapy before the incident but when I got shot that was when I could access all the support. My sister and I were shot on the same day. We have different therapists, but we both have Youth Alive.
—Jordan, Counseling Client
YOUTH ALIVE STAFF
Alia Glover, Community Leadership Liaison
America Serrano, Hometown Hero Fellow
Angelique Quinley, Senior Writer
Antoine Towers, Violence Interrupter
Ayodeji Ewegbemi, Client Payment Specialist
Carla Ashford, Violence Interrupter
Cassandra Millspaugh, Bilingual Mental Health Counselor
Chauncey Jackson, Violence Interrupter
Damari Marsh, Violence Interrupter
Darious Lewis , CIC Intervention Specialist
Darnell Emanuel, Hometown Hero Fellow
Deandre Cooper, School Based Intervention Specialist
Denay Harris, Development Associate
Doral Myles, Citywide Violence Interrupter
Eric Adams, Lead Violence Interrupter
Eric Crutcher, School-Based Intervention Specialist
Gabriel Garcia, Policy & Advocacy Director
Glenale Kellum, School Based Violence Interrupter
Gloria Morales, Crisis Responder
Guadalupe Serrano, CIC Program Manager
Hidemi Crosse, Finance Manager
Jaime Oseguera, Violence Interrupter
Janiesha Grisham, Lead Violence Prevention Educator
Javier Arango, Bilingual School Based Intervention Specialist
Jason Williams, Program Support Manager
Jaymes Fitzpatrick, Violence Prevention Educator
Jessica Segura, KWP Manager
John Torres, Associate Director
Joe Griffin, Executive Director
Juan Carlos Carmona, Hometown Hero Program Manager
Juan Cortez, Senior Violence Interrupter
Kareem Ervin, Intervention Programs Assistant Director
Kesse Taylor-Jenkins, VI Program Administrator
Kyndal Lakey, Hometown Hero Fellow
Lanisha Jones, Crisis Responder
Lauren Greenberg, Development & Communications Director
Lizeth Torres, Office Manager
Makayla London, School Based IS/Youth Life Coach
Marilyn Harris, Family Support Liaison
MaryAnn Alvarado, TNT Program Manager
Mey Saelee, Administrative Assistant
Miguel Avila Torres, Community Services Program Manager
Nakaya LaForte, Violence Prevention Educator
Nasir Bari, Violence Interrupter
Natasha Johnson, Mental Health Counselor
Nathan Sweasey, Mental Health Counselor
Omari Sinclair, Senior Violence Interrupter
Paris Davis, Intervention Programs Director
Patrick Goodwin, School Based Violence Interrupter
Phelisha Saffold, School Based Violence Interrupter
Rafael Cortez, Bilingual City Wide Violence Interrupter
Rhea Corson-Higgs, Mental Health Counselor
Sarah West Carson, Clinical Director
Sergio Diaz, Bilingual Intervention Specialist
Sie Savage Chambers, Intervention Specialist
Sue Danne, Finance Director
Tiara Upshaw, Program Associate
YOUTH LEADERS
Castlmont High School
Navaeh Abdul-Salaam
Ahmilah Abrams
Moyinoluwa Arimoro
Dahryell Brand
Marloni Brandle
Richard Brooks
Makai Cork
Makia Cork
Malik Cross
Jacob Davis
Jaylin Davis
Askia Dawson
Selassi Dawson
Tamiya Easley
Davyonna Foster
Joshua Haynes
A’mani James
Aron Jenkins
Zariah Jenkins
Zoraya Jenkins
Andrianna LaFleur
Leon’Janae Renee Luster
Giana Mason
Nadiyah McKnightCropper
Majic Moorehead
Nasir Obasohan
Casey Powell
Treasure Ragland
Darell Richardson
Naijon Rodgers
Jalyn Simpkins
Andrea Stovall
Amia Taylor
Briana Vega
Daniel Vega
Ahlayashia M. Washington
Ahleashia Washington
Faith West
James Wheeler
Ariel Wilkes
Jakayla Williams
Jabree Wilson
A’Nia Alcorn
Marialis Bautista
Leilani Brookshire
Cesar Elias
Zamaya Foster
Kambridge Gatlin
Troy Jackson
Deion Johnson
Khionti Massey
Fremont High School
Ariel Baker
Samaria Baker
Janiah Bean
Jayla Carroll
Julisa Corben
Jordyn Dudley
Francine Garcia Dardon
Paige Green
Kiana-Marie Guttierrez
Yaretzy (Alex)
Hernandez
Imanii Hogan
Corrie Hong
Carlos Mansilla
Justin McGowen
Sofia Merritt Estrada
Yajaira Montano
Kevon Morgan
Emily (Emmy) Munoz
Andres Ortiz
Grace Perez
Litzie Ramos
Amani Rodriguez
Itayetsy Romero
Radwan Saeleh Muthana
Emily Sanchez-Cristobal
Keshun Settle
Meliza Smith
Zion Smith
Calleigh Tanaka
Regan Tatum
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SARAH CHAVEZ-YOELL Board President Local Government Affairs Manager, Pacific Gas & Electric, Oakland
ANGELA JENKINS Vice President Accountable Communities, Prisma Health, Greenville, SC
ALISA DEWYS Treasurer Manager, Google, San Francisco
STAN WEISNER Secretary Director Emeritus, Behavioral Health Sciences Department, UC Berkeley Extension, Oakland
NADINE DE COTEAU Manager, Engagement & Partnerships Apple, Cupertino
MICHAEL MUNSON Operations Manager, KTOPTV10, Oakland
JOHN BLISS President, SCI Consulting Group, Oakland
TRACY JENSEN Senior Services Administrator, City of Oakland, Oakland
DAVID MUHAMMAD Executive Director, National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, Oakland
Johdi Watson
Rose Alexander
Jazmin Arroyo
Sarai Bernstine
Leslie Brown
Nicolas Brown
Neajah Drew
Rosaly Garcia
Samuel Oniah
Jonathan Pena Perez
Gabriela Perez
Ayana Williams
Skyline High School
Komogodji Bagayoko
Milton Birndorf
Darius Brown
Torrian Coats
Tha Daheh
Anne Diby
Ketsia Diby
Shadon Fagans
Demitrius Green
Mischa Loreal
Camilla Martinez
Sara Mendoza
Zachary Molina
Alyssa Ortega
Ke’Merriah Outland
KYNDRA SIMMONS Director, Frontline Training/Technical Assistance, Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (The HAVI), Berkeley
CAROL LYNN THOMPSON Principal Counsel, Litigation, University of California, Office of the President, Berkeley
CAHERI GUTIERREZ Communications and External Relations Director, The Unity Council, Oakland
RAFAEL VAQUERANO, MPH President & CEO, Gardner Health Services, San Jose
Yadira Pablo
Jeny Pablo Ramirez
Keishann Rice
Marco Riggio
Giovanna Santiago
Evan Smith
Najii Smith
Kaiden Taylor
Gabriel Vargas
Nathan Wagner
Max Wendling
Takayla White
Kingston Wildridge
Melissa Wilson
Syncere Wilson
Nizie Brou
Aidan Canright Walker
Saeed Colson
Khalea Dyas-Hurst
Demi Green
Zorina Guidry
Janelle Harding
Marie Niang
Atticus Pena Rager
Jamiiya Robinson
Jordan Smith
Hanzhi Wong
TNT Advisory Board Torrian Coats Khionti Massey
THANK YOU
Roger Abraham
Donna Abraham-Moldoff
Deanna Abrams
Kings Accountability Group
Ruth Adar
Anna Akita
Alameda County Office of Education
Alameda County Probation Department
Alameda County Public Health Department
Alameda County Public Health Department Violence Prevention Initiative
Alameda County Public Health Department-Office of Violence Prevention
Alameda Health System
Alameda Health System Foundation
Meredith Alcala
Kristin Aldrich
Terry Alfaro
Ahmed Ali Bob
Teresa Allen
Renato Almanzor
Priyanka Altman
Fatima Amin
Karrie Amsler
Richard Anderson
Zoe Anderson
Lenore Anderson
Gregory Archer
Helen Archer-Duste
Chelsea Arietta
Emily Armstead
Harmeet Arora
Susie Ashford-Fletcher
AT&T
Francesca Austin
Kayla Authelet
Brett Badelle
Carol Badran
Karin Bagot
Bainum Family Foundation
Michael Baker
Chuck Baker
John Balmes
Sherry Katz Balmes
Kinkini Banerjee
Karen and Jeffrey Banks
Banks Family Foundation
Lindsay Barenz
Rachel Barish
Esteban Barnaby
Patricia Barry
Kristen Bascombe
Peter Battaglino
Ursula Batz
Bay Area Community Resources
Jessie Becker
Marla Becker and Daniel Lipton
Sara Bedford
Gordon Beebe
Benchling
Sara Benjamin
Meredith Benton
Bianca Berdiago
Jodie Berger
Bernard E. & Alba Witkin Charitable Foundation
Yvonn Bernklan
Carolyn Bernstein
We are grateful to our supporters who make Youth Alive’s work possible. Special thanks to the members of our Community Circle (listed in green).
Annikka Berridge
James Betts
James Betts, MD
Saroj Bhattarai
Stephanie Bickham
Shefali Billon
Jennifer Birch
Fred Blackwell
Stephen Blair
Lila Blanchard
Helene Blatter
Hudson Blechman
Teri Bleckner
Mandela Bliss
John Bliss and Kim Thompson
Block
Blue Shield
Zacary Blume
Sallie Blytt
Carol Bohnsack
Christine Bonilha
Ira Book
Ruth Borenstein
Oriana Bosin
Mark Bostick
Nancy Bott
Michelle Boyd
Laura Brandner
Helena Brantley
Eric Breitbard
Hallie Brignall
Ryan Brody
Sara Brody
Anna Brooks
John Brown
Lillie Brum
June Brumer
Bryan Cave Leighton & Paisner
Sean Buchanan
Elinor Buchen
Brad Buckman
Elizabeth Buisker
Ines Burbulis
Susan Burns
Helen Burrows
Jonathan Burstein
Bussolini Family
Ryan Butler
Marcus Byrd
Maureen Byrne
Linda Bytof
John Calhoun
Deane Calhoun Bunce
California Violence Intervention and Prevention Program Grant
California Wellness Foundation
Joan Cannon
Margaret Cannon
Neil Carmen
Ian Carpenter
Jessie Carr
Sabrina Carroll
Sarah Carson
Susan Casentini
Fernando Cervantes
Tiffany Chan
Zachary Chan
Mae Chan
Eden Chan
Suzanne Chase
Sarah Chavez-Yoell and Mike Yoell
Margaret Chavigny
Thomas Chen
Robin Chetkowski
Josephine Chiles
James Chiles
Simone Chou
Dyanna Christie
Nicole Churchill-Yip
Vera Ciammetti
City of Oakland Department of Violence Prevention
Elizabeth Claman
Michele Clark
Corina Clark
Karen Clayton
Michael Clery
Tommy Clifford
Judith Coates
Daniel Cody
Doris Cohen
Anastasia Cohen
Patricia Colapietro
Maisha Cole
Ray Colmenar
Angela Colombo
Ian Connelly
Maura Wolf Cook
Noel Cook
Christine Cooper
Ali Cordoba
Shannon Cosgrove
Laura Costain
Shelise Cowan
Ashley Cownan
Margaret Coyne
Linda Cozzarelli
Zachary Craig
Rory Craig
Bruce Cribley
Emily Cronbach
Anne Cross
Christina Cundari
Carol Curtis
Laura Cutrona
Sonia Daccarett
Thomas Daley
Alyssa Damianakes
Brian Danbury
Sue Danne
Mizgon Darby
Fania Davis
Virgina Davis
Creighton Davis
Kerry Davis
Joshua Davis
Monifa Dayo
Nadine de Coteau
Stephanie De La Melena
Kay Decorah
Donna DeDiemar
Cathy DeForest
Alfredo DeLeon and Bill Crotinger
Kay Demattei
Katherine DeMattei
Menna Demessie
Tanay Desai
David DeSilva
Alisa DeWys
Kanwarpal Dhaliwal
Griffin Dix
Janie Dobbs
Molly Doctors Rajashekhar
Stephanie Dominguez-Walton and
Zack Walton
Martin Donaldson
Estelle Dong
Michelle Dong
Briana Driver
Missy Duffy
Kelly Dumesnil
Fiona Dunbar
Sarah Dunn
Norman Dupont
Danielle Durie
Brian Dye
Marilyn Dykstra
David Early
East Bay Fund for Artists at East Bay
Community Foundation
Eileen Ecklund
Sue Edelstein
Nina Eisenberg
Pamela Elder
Elevate Youth California
Heather Elgin
Mark Elliott
Scott Ellis
D’Lonra Ellis
Jamie Elmasu
Kendra Elwood
Aimee Eng
Michael Enslow
Nancy Erb
Joe Ernst
Luana Espana
Angeles Estelles
Alfonso Estrada
Michael Evans
Everytown for Gun Safety Support
Fund
Casey Farmer and Galen Wilson
Stefanie Faucher
Gianna Fazioli
Joan Feinberg
Judith Feins
Nina Fendel
Gladys Ferguson
Daniela Fernandez
Barbara Fierer
Emily A. Filloy
Florelyn Fine
Gregory & Robin Finnegan
First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco
Nick and Sally Fitzhugh
Sharon Flanagan
Carolyn Flannery
Alicia Florin
Ulla Foehr
Anne Fogle
Patrica Fong
Virgina Fontana
Colette Ford
Curt Forderer
Louise Fortmann
Paul Foster
Sabrina Foster
John Fountain
Pauline Fox
Andreea Francis
Aubrey Francisco
Karen Frank
Mary Frank
Kathryn Frank
Greta Frantz
Julie Freestone
Ariel Freilich
Robert Frey
Elanie Fripp Fripp
Genevieve Frisch
Janet Frost
New Venture Fund
Dalton Fusco
Camie Gadda
Katherine Gallagher
Gallagher and Burk
Dorothy Galloway
Ricardo Garcia-Acosta
Stacey Gardiner
Gardner Health Services
McKay Garner
Leonardo Garrido
Paul Eugene Garrison
Laura Geist
Jil Geller
Edward Gerber
Kristin Germeroth
Elissa Gershon
Debalina Ghosh and Pradosh
Mohaptra
Raphael Gilbert
Debra Giles
Sarah Gill
Shira Gill
Gagan Gill-Bhadare
Chaim Gingold
Emily Gische
Jennifer Glenesk
Roger and Beth Goldberg
Sasha and Lynn Goldberg
Golden State Warriors/ Valkyries Foundation
Sandi Goldsmith
Bryson Gomez
Rachel Gonzales-Levine
Isela Gonzalez Santana
Jon Gooblar
Brendalynn Goodall
Stephen Goodman
Bill Goodykoontz
Katherine Gordon
Tatiana Gordon
Amy Gorman
Adia Goss
Sharmila N. Grant
Jonee Grassi
Ebony Gray
Lynn Greenberg
Lauren Greenberg
Cary Greenberg
David Greenberg
Jim Greenberg
Ryan Greene Roesel
Brenda Grisham
Aisling Grogan
Steve Grouke
Meliss Grover
Anne Groves
Nanci Gunning
Angelina Gutierrez
Caheri Gutierrez
Rhoda Haberman
Robert Hahn
Dhanika Halili
Mark Hall
Joan Hall-Feinberg
Nancy Halloran
Rochelle Halperin
Akemi Hamai
Earl Hamlin
Joyce Han
Sally Hanley
Heather Hanly
Edward Hannemann and
Anne Bodel
Nathaniel Hanson
Rita Hao
Harbor Point Charitable Foundation
Clara Hard
Nancy and Roberto Haro
Katherine Harris
Denita Harris
Taylar Hart
Wallace Hartley
Hartley Family Foundation
Angie Hartney
Caitlin Hartsell
Rachel Hartshorn
Megan Hastings
Howard and Pamela Hatayama
Tracy Haughton
George Hauser
Paula Hawthorn
Michaela Hayes
Elise Hazlewood
Heising-Simons Foundation 24-26
Shon Henderson
Julie Henig
Laurie Herbert
Isabel Herman
Monica Hersch
Julie Hess and Satch Slavin
Brianna Hill
Deborah Hill
Kathryn Hill
Alexandria Hilton
Adam Hirsch
Stephanie Hochman
Kathryn & Michel Hoffman
Aimee Holland
Diana Honig
Monique Hosein
Catherine Hsu
Britta Huebsch
Jeanne Hughes
Lim Hui Ben
Jane Hunter
Sally Hunter
Elise Hunter
Patricia Hyde
IFPTE Local 21
Paul Irving
Stephanie Isaacson
Susannah Israel
Elizabeth Itz
Karen Ivy
David Jackson
Lareen Jacobs
Clara Jaeckel
Sauyeh Jahann
Thea James
Juliet Jamtgaard
Nuriya Janss
Florence Jao
Tracie Jeng
Angela Jenkins
Marcella Jenkins
Erica Jennings
Douglas Jensen
Tracy Jensen
Jocelyn Jensen
Trang Jew
Gabriela Jimenez
Noemi Johansson-Miller
Dupinder Johl
John Muir Health
Sara Johns
Dianna Jones
Catherine Jones
Margaret Jones
Desiree Jones-Rubin
Jean Josey
Lisa K Reyes
Mandolin Kadera-Redmond
Kaiser Center for Gun
Violence Research and Education
Kaiser Northern California
Regional Benefit
Kaiser Permanente
Patrick Kaliski
Maya Kante
Donna Kaplan
Margie Kaplan
Amanda Karl
Susan Karl
Naneen Karraker
Cheryl Kasovsky
M. Katzin
June Katzschner
Karly Kaufman
Katherine Keating
Brian Keefer
Fred Kelley
Leah Kennedy
Dawn Kepler
Lauren Kerr
Alison Kewley
KEXP
Angelique Keys
Maryann Khinda-Lombardo
Jane Khudyakov
Kindling Foundation Inc.
Elizabeth King
Audrey Kittock
Tal and Kira Klement
Carolyn Knight
Beatrice Koehn
Carl Kohnert
Cinthia Konichi Paulo
Stanton Koppel
Svetlana Korshakova
Isaac Kos-Read
Jennifer Krajewski
Elizabeth Kreitler
Kenneth Kuchman
Tasion Kwamilele
Nicole Kyauk
Susan Lakatos
Monica Lamboy
Mindy Landmark
Caitlin Lang
Lance Lang
Ari Langer
Nancy LaPaglia
Samara Leader
Brittney Lee
Nicole Lee
Rochelle Lefkowitz
Laurie Leiber
Amy Leibowitz
Kate Leist
Alexander Lerman
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“YOUTH ALIVE SHOWED UP FOR ME” —COACH JAVIER
At 17, just hours after a high school dance in December of 2006, Javier Arango was shot in the spine when another group fired a rain of bullets into the car he was sitting in with friends in East Oakland, leaving him permanently paralyzed. Having emigrated from a small town outside of Medellín, Colombia, he thought life would be safer in the U.S., but instead found himself caught in Oakland’s cycles of violence.
“When I was shot, the only people who came to my bedside were my stepmom and stepsister, the OPD investigator trying to find out why I was shot, and then a case manager from Youth Alive, named Rafael Vazquez,” Javier recalls. Because he was now in a wheelchair, Youth Alive helped him return to high school and graduate, covering transportation services so he could attend therapy 2-3 times a week. His counselor would pick him up, wait for him, and drive him home to keep him safe.
At the time, Javier only had asylum status. His case manager Rafael took him to the U.S. Embassy in San Francisco to begin the process for proper documentation. “He helped me, and he helped my mother to help me. Now my mother is a naturalized U.S. citizen, and so am I.” Rafael also worked to keep Javier away from retaliation, enrolling him in programs like the now-defunct Youth Radio, where he learned music engineering, and finding activities to keep him off the streets.
When Javier was transferred from Highland Hospital in Oakland to San Jose for physical and occupational
therapy, his counselor continued visiting with him regularly. “All my family was back in Colombia. My life coach became like family. I didn’t have a lot of people, and my friends couldn’t get to San Jose.”
After receiving services from Youth Alive, Javier worked with Catholic Charities of the East Bay for ten years, learning restorative justice practices, mentorship, and peace circles, and was mentored by Ricardo Peña. When that work ended, he rested for a year before deciding to find work again. “I thought about the people who first helped me. I thought – okay, first it was Youth Alive.” One day, he decided to visit when he saw Executive Director Dr. Joseph Griffin with his office window open and shared his story and desire to work with youth. When a position opened, Joe invited him for an interview.
Today, Javier is a Life Coach with Youth Alive, working at his alma mater, Castlemont High School, mentoring students with compassion and wisdom rooted in lived experience. He also coaches the junior varsity boys’ soccer team, taking them to Oakland Roots games to build confidence, connection, and joy. Earlier this year, he coordinated an entire back-to-school assembly with our Teens on Target team, school-based Violence Interrupters, and Turf Inc. An avid supporter of Turf Inc, led by his best friend Johnny Lopez, Javier is always showing up for the community – supporting events, organizing positive activities, and being a steady role model.
Javier with Executive Director Dr. Joseph Griffin at Youth Alive’s Free Your Mind event at The Crucible in November 2024.