Youth ALIVE! 2015-2016 Annual Report

25 Years

of Prevention, Intervention & Healing ANNUAL REPORT 2015–2016

25 YEARS OF PREVENTION, INTERVENTION & HEALING

Dear Youth ALIVE! Supporter In 2012, I was fresh out of college and looking to embark on a career in public service when Mike Nieto, now YA!’s board president, invited me to a Youth ALIVE! event.

Mike was the District Attorney assigned to my case when I was shot in Oakland in 2004. At the event, I was spellbound and greatly moved by the work that Youth ALIVE! was doing in the community, my community, and I wanted to be involved.

I have served on the Board of Directors for Youth ALIVE! for the past four years and I am honored to now serve as Vice President. As a former victim of violence, I have a unique place on the board. I bring insight, and first-hand experience, of what our programs do for the people we serve. I am proud to be a part of this nonprofitorganization, which is now marking its 25th year working with the youth of Oakland to create a safer, stronger city.

Our very first program, which started even before we were called Youth ALIVE!, was Teens on Target. TNT trains high school students in East and Central Oakland to be violence prevention educators and civic leaders.

All of our other programs have grown out of what we’ve learned from the students in TNT. Caught in the Crossfire provides help for young victims of violence. The Khadafy Washington Project supports families who have lost a loved one to violence. I know just how important these services are to the victims and their families in such a time of dire need.

Our Pathways program provides case management to young people transitioning back to the community from the juvenile justice system or who are struggling in school. And our Counseling Services continue to grow. We have recently increased by 33% our capacity to serve clients in all of our prevention and intervention programs!

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And now, in this new report, we introduce to you our newest program, Violence Interruption.

Over the last year, we have grown tremendously, and this growth has called for an increase in staff and more office space to match the work being done in the community. Youth ALIVE! is a trendsetter in violence prevention, and we are not afraid of trying new things and new ways to get the job done. Most importantly, after 25 years of preventing violence and creating young leaders, we keep our focus on the true mission, which is to keep our youth alive.

Siara Spriggs Vice President Youth ALIVE! Board of Directors

85% NEARLY

of our budget goes to programs

2015 Income: $1,864,951

2015 Expenses: $1,784,806

Contracts: $873,677 (47%)

Direct Services: $1,165,242 (65%)

Foundation Grants: $751,180 (40%)

Training & Advocacy: $328,256 (18%)

Earned Income: $95,792 (5%)

Administration & Fundraising: $291,308 (16%)

Corporate Contributions: $75,984 (4%) Individual Giving & Fundraisers: $42,938 (2%) Special Events: $24,200 (1%)

25 YEARS OF PREVENTION, INTERVENTION & HEALING | 2

PREVENTION Teens on Target Our founding program, TNT, as it is known throughout Oakland, trains high school students at Castlemont High and Life Academy in East Oakland, to become leaders, mentors and especially, violence prevention educators to their peers. In the last school year, TNT staff mentored and trained 77 students.

TNT youth leaders meet twice a week after school to master a 6-part curriculum covering all types of violence, from gang violence to dating and relationship violence to how drugs and alcohol contribute to violence. They then teach violence prevention workshops to middle school students throughout the city. This year, TNT youth leaders presented workshops to well over 800 Oakland Unified School District middle school students. TNT youth leaders earn a stipend for their work.

Among TNT Youth Leaders in the 2015-2016 school year, surveys showed a: » 45% increase in those who saw themselves as positive role models » 50% increase in those who chose not to hang out with someone who they knew was carrying a gun » 54% increase in those who would encourage a cousin or brother to resolve a conflict instead of fighting » 49% increase in those who said they would talk a friend out of getting into a fight

“I remember Teens on Target being the first real turning point in my life. It was like a life raft for me. Without it, I would be dead or in jail like some of my peers.”

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~ TNT Youth Leader

Advocacy

“Taking on the NRA is no easy task, but I am confident that Californians will

We work on the front lines of violence prevention, but we also believe that solutions can come via good public policy. In 2015, we actively supported bills in the California Legislature to increase law enforcement transparency, to protect civilian video evidence from confiscation, to prohibit housing discrimination against people with criminal records and their families, to prohibit racial profiling, to remove restrictions on compensation for victims who are on probation or parole and to limit the use of solitary confinement.

pass this measure in November because it is the right thing to do. California can lead the way to comprehensive gun safety laws, and I am humbled by your generosity and initiative in this endeavor.” ~ Gavin Newsom on Youth ALIVE!’s support for California State Prop 63, The Safety for All Act, to enact common sense gun laws

Training In 2009 we founded the National Network of Hospitalbased Violence Intervention Programs (NNHVIP) as a way of helping other organizations implement the Caught in the Crossfire model, and as a way to help us benefit from their work and experience. Today NNHVIP includes 31 member programs from across the US, UK, Latin America and Canada. Its 2015 conference

in Los Angeles gathered more than 200 members of the violence prevention community. This year, along with our partners, Cure Violence and the Berkeley Media Studies Group, Youth ALIVE! was tapped by the federal government to provide training and assistance to communities developing programs to support male survivors of violence.

25 YEARS OF PREVENTION, INTERVENTION & HEALING | 4

INTERVENTION

Violence Interruption In 2016, Youth ALIVE! became the base of operations for the city’s Violence Interrupters. The Violence Interrupters are a specialized team that focuses on mediating conflicts in the community that can arise in the aftermath of homicides, shootings or intense “beefs” between individuals and/or groups at odds. Similar to intensive case management services, Violence Interrupters approach each conflict as an opportunity to break the cycle of violence and build a pathway to sustained resolutions.

The Violence Interrupters begin by assessing imminent safety concerns, then work to identify both sides of a conflict, and, finally, attempt to

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broker a resolution or truce. The Violence Interrupters work supports and enhances Youth ALIVE!’s existing violence intervention efforts, as well as the Street Outreach efforts of Oakland California Youth Outreach (OCYO) and Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS). » In the first half of 2016, our Violence Interrupters have mediated over 45 conflicts » YA! Violence Interrupters have conducted over 30 safety interventions with wounded people at the hospital

Caught in the Crossfire » In 2015, Youth ALIVE! intervention specialists worked with 86 hospitalized youth

Trauma and its associated symptoms – such as hypervigilance, sleeplessness and fear – perpetuate the violence on our streets. The everyday trauma our youth incur must be addressed.

» 78% of those served were young men

For 25 years, through Caught in the Crossfire, Youth ALIVE! Intervention Specialists have been meeting traumatized young victims of violence who have been shot, stabbed or beaten, to 1) convince them and their friends and family not to retaliate; and 2) offer practical help and a path towards healing, towards peace.

» Most clients were between the ages of 17 and 23 » 98% of those served were not re-hospitalized

Pathways “Jelani is like my guardian angel. Jelani is always there, no matter what. I never told her but I look at her like a second mom. She buys me food when I’m hungry, takes me to all my court dates, and if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be in school. She does everything my mom should do but isn’t doing and I’m very thankful to have met her.”

Intervention Specialists in our Pathways program provide intensive case management to youth at the highest risk for involvement in violence, young people already in the juvenile justice system, or identified by their school as likely to become so. Some are gang affiliated, some have been suspended for violence, some have been sexually exploited,

many have been neglected or even abused at home. Many are truant or failing from school. All need the caring and knowledgeable aid of an adult mentor. Pathways staff works to increase safety and change outlooks as these young people make their transitions back home from incarceration, back into school, back into stability.

~ Jewel (See Jewel’s story on the back page)

» In 2015, Pathways served 68 youth » In 2015, Pathways youth were half as likely to be re-arrested as juveniles in the system overall » 20 Pathways youth got new jobs » 49 Pathways youth re-enrolled in school

25 YEARS OF PREVENTION, INTERVENTION & HEALING | 6

I M PA C T & Impact of Youth Leadership Early Intervention

JUST $200

C O N S I DE R T H I S C O M PAR I S ON

PER YEAR

$80K: HOUSING ONE TEEN IN PRISON FOR A YEAR

PAY S T O T R A I N A Y O U N G L E A D E R & P E E R V I O L E N C E P R E V E N T I O N E D U C AT O R

$ 4 0 K : T R E A T I N G O N E I N J U R Y I N T H E H O S P I T A L

E A C H Y E A R , T E E N S O N TA R G E T Y O U T H E D U C AT O R S R E A C H HUNDREDS

OF

MIDDLE

SCHOOL

STUDENTS

ACROSS

THE

CITY

O F O A K L A N D W I T H L E S S O N S O F A W A R E N E S S A N D A LT E R N AT I V E S T O V I O L E N C E .

BECAUSE OF OUR WORKSHOPS, IN A TYPICAL YEAR…

80–90%

2/3

H AV E E N D E D I N A F I G H T

TO HIT A GIRLFRIEND OR BOYFRIEND

R E S O LV E A C O N F L I C T T H AT O N C E W O U L D

90%

F E W E R

STUDENTS

BELIEVE IT’S EVER OK

FEWER STUDENTS B E L I E V E D H AV I N G A G U N

MADE THEM SAFER

“Youth ALIVE! didn’t just change my life. It saved my life. And now I want to do the same for my friends and my community.” ~ Latrae, 16-year-old TNT Peer Educator

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& R E S U LT S Impact of Violence Intervention & Case Management YA ! I N T E R V E N T I O N S P E C I A L I S T S H AV E A D I R E C T & P R O F O U N D I M PA C T O N Y O U N G L I V E S

OVER 100

98%

V I O L E N T LY W O U N D E D Y O U T H O V E R A 4 - Y E A R P E R I O D

SUCCESSFULLY RE-ENROLLED IN SCHOOL

OF CiC CLIENTS ARE

NOT RE-HOSPITALIZED FOR VIOLENCE-RELATED INJURIES

$380

90%

OF CASE-MANAGED CLIENTS

WERE NOT RE-ARRESTED

PAY S F O R O N E W O U N D E D Y O U N G P E R S O N T O G E T E M E R G E N C Y H O U S I N G , T R A N S P O R TAT I O N A N D F I N A N C I A L A S S I S TA N C E T O

S TA B I L I Z E H I S O R H E R L I F E A N D S TA R T T H E H E A L I N G

Impact of Crisis Intervention O A K L A N D AV E R A G E S M O R E T H A N 1 0 0 H O M I C I D E S P E R Y E A R .

T H AT ’ S 1 0 0 T R A U M AT I Z E D , F R I G H T E N E D FA M I L I E S .

95%

O F T H E FA M I L I E S O F

H O MI CI D E VI CTI MS

ARE REACHED EACH YEAR B Y YA ! C R I S I S R E S P O N D E R S

$75

PAY S F O R A M O N T H OF OUR 24/7 BILINGUAL HOMICIDE RESPONSE LINE

25 YEARS OF PREVENTION, INTERVENTION & HEALING | 8

HEALING The Khadafy Washington Project Even as the number of killings has decreased, in any city the size of Oakland, people will die by the gun. Their survivors are often the forgotten victims of violence.

And yet, as much as anyone, they need help, hope and healing. Crisis Responders with Youth ALIVE!’s Khadafy Washington Project (named for the murdered son of the project’s founder) step into the immediate aftermath of homicides to bring comfort and aid to victims’ families.

» Out of the 94 homicides in Oakland in 2015, we were able to contact 89 of the victims’ families » 83 families received support from our crisis responders » 78 families received critical benefits from the Victims of Crime office to help pay for funerals

“Tammy was always available; every single time I called she answered. She was always, ‘How can I help you move forward?’” ~ KWP Client

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Counseling Services “Nicky and JD have been a big crutch to me and my family. Without them, I don’t know how I would have gotten through some days.”

All Youth ALIVE! programs address directly the effects of trauma on young people growing up in Oakland.

Fortunately, we have a staff of caring mental health counselors trained in recognizing the symptoms of trauma and helping people deal with them. They meet clients wherever they are comfortable, at the office or in the community, working hand-in-hand with our case managers to provide healing and promote peace.

~ Counseling Services Client

» In 2015, our Counseling Services provided community based care to 60 clients and their support systems » That is over 700 hours of mental health services » We have increased our counseling staff from 3 to 4 to serve clients in all of YA!’s prevention and intervention programs

START 2 Heal Too often, trauma in our community goes unidentified and undiagnosed. Youth ALIVE! has developed a tool to assess and address otherwise undiagnosed trauma. It’s called START (Screening & Tool for Awareness & Relief of Trauma), and was developed with the consultation of a group of young men recovering from gunshot wounds, to help identify otherwise neglected symptoms of trauma and to offer a bit of relief to the sufferer. We offer this tool free of charge to partner agencies as well.

» Youth ALIVE! community health advocates conducted 60 START interviews in 2015 » Results from community pilots indicate that START participants experienced a decrease in all categories of trauma-related symptoms like sleep disturbance and hyper-arousal » More than half of START participants find the tool to be helpful and plan on continuing to use it in the future

The START tools feel good. They take away my stress.

~ Youth ALIVE! Client

25 YEARS OF PREVENTION, INTERVENTION & HEALING | 10

Youth ALIVE! Board of Directors Michael Nieto Board President Assistant District Attorney Alameda County Oakland, CA

Stan Weisner, Ph.D., MSW Board Secretary Director, Behavioral Health Sciences UC Berkeley Extension Berkeley, CA

Siara Spriggs Board Vice President Claims Authorizer Social Security Administration Richmond, CA

Phillip S. Chang Managing Director, Redondo Surgical Los Angeles, CA

Alisa DeWys Treasurer Consultant Resources Global Professionals San Francisco, CA

Caitlin Lang Principal & Owner, Liquid Form Design Oakland, CA Elizabeth Sekera, RN Lead Nurse, HEDIS San Francisco Health Plan San Francisco, CA

David E. Durant, Esq. General Counsel, Yapstone Walnut Creek, CA

Nancy Skinner Lecturer UC Berkeley, Sr. Policy Fellow UC Davis Energy Institute Berkeley, CA

Angela Jenkins Public Affairs Director, East Bay Area, Kaiser Permanente Oakland, CA

La’Ban A. Wade II Insurance Agent, Farmers Insurance Former TNT Youth Leader Pleasanton, CA

Youth ALIVE! Staff Alex Lim Program Coordinator Teens on Target

Hisham Ali Bob Lead Violence Prevention Educator Teens on Target

Linnea Ashley National Training & Advocacy Manager

Anne Marks Executive Director

Jelani Avant Lead Intervention Specialist, Pathways

Michael Lewis Intervention Specialist, Pathways

Christina Barnes Office Manager

Jim O’Brien Grants & Communications Associate

Nicky MacCallum Counseling Services Director

Daniel Roman Community Health Advocate

J.D. Rhone Lead Intervention Specialist Caught in the Crossfire

Samuel Martinez Counselor

Doral Myles Violence Interrupter (West Oakland) Eric Adams Violence Interrupter (East Oakland) Fransua Senegal Violence Prevention Educator Teens on Target

Joseph Griffin Training Officer John Torres Deputy Director

Shumar Dornners Violence Interrupter (Citywide) Sue Danne Finance & Operations Director

Juan Cortez Violence Interrupter (Central Oakland)

Tammy Cloud Program Coordinator Khadafy Washington Project

Glen Upshaw Lead Violence Interrupter

Julio Torres Pathways Intervention Specialist

Tanya Philip Intern, Counseling Services

Greg Johnson Intervention Specialist Caught in the Crossfire

Kyndra Simmons Intervention Director

Yvette Mora Crisis Responder Khadafy Washington Project

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Teens on Target Youth Leaders Castlemont High School Hamed Aldahmi Haroon Alrawhani Danielle Bowie Shantee Brooks Georgia Cameron Evelyn Carranza Jose Luis Cruz Titus Dorsey Kiera Fortenberry Erika Galindo Shamaya Glasper Adal Guerrero Ismael Hernandez Carlos Herrera

Ty’Jeare Hunter Takita Keaton Eric Lester Ar’maney Lewis Monique Lockett Sione Malupo Andres McDade Gabriel Patten Samone Perry Romeo Pittman Raymundo Ramirez Miracle Robinson Ruby Romo Sahanna Roy

Life Academy Lexus Salazar Alonso Santiago Khalah Saunders Lamar Sept Andres Vega Angel Vega Trevor Watson Alfonso Wells Keyson Williams Rodney Williams Destinee Wilson Maria Zapien

Victor Aguilar Mohammed Al-defi Anthony Arellano Gema Cardenas Jazmin Diaz Acquriana Dunn Millenia Dunn Tineleti Fatai Cristina Flores Damian Fong Esthefany Frazier Jaqueline Lira

David Luna Miguel Martinez Garcia Saul Martinez-Nuno Cesar Mayorga Lucille Moore Edgar Pena Luis Reyes-Esquivel Angel Rodriguez Yaquelin ZaragozaAlvarado

25 YEARS OF PREVENTION, INTERVENTION & HEALING | 12

Thank You Eric Aaholm Adventure Out LLC Alameda County Board of Supervisors, District 4 Alameda County Emergency Medical Services Alameda Health System Alameda County Probation Department Matthew & Kristin Aldrich Alegio Chocolate Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Robert & Ellen Ansel AT&T United Way Employee Giving Campaign Tracey Austin Shiva and Shobha Bajaj Elizabeth Balderston Banks Family Foundation Lisa Barnak Bay Area Black United Fund Betty Becker Pearlie Beltran Bernard E. & Alba Witkin Charitable Foundation James M. Betts Yael Bloom Sallie Blytt Betty and Raymond Bogucki Jim O’Brien & Terese Bogucki Wendy Bomberg Rob Bonta Frankie Brannon Eric Breitbard Rebecca Brewer Brickyard Family Fund Devitta Briscoe Brown Paper Tickets Jason Bryant Deane and Richard Bunce

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Bunker and Company Barbara Cabellon Tara Carlson Anne Cassia Catholic Charities of the East Bay Phillip Chang Thomas Chen Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Children’s Initiative Children’s Support League of the East Bay Dr. Vincent Chong John Kusakabe & Simone Chou City of Oakland City of Oakland, Oakland Unite City of San Jose Bethany Conner Maura Wolf & Noel Cook Carnell Cooper Joel Copperman Nadine de Coteau County of Alameda Crescent Porter Hale Foundation Alison Culyba George C L & Althea Grannum Cummings Wazi Davis Decus Biomedical Alisa DeWys Rachel Dirks Kathleen Doyle Felicia N. Duncan David & Cynthia Durant East Bay Asian Youth Center East Bay Community Foundation Jenny Eng Cynthia Eubanks Galen Wilson & Casey Farmer Vince Favero

Without our funders, donors and supporters, Youth ALIVE! would not be able to have such a great impact. We are grateful for your contribution.

Victoria Levin & Joel Fein Christine Ferreira Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Emily A. Filloy Kamika Dunlap & Amy Fitzgerald Roy & Cindy Hill Ford Michael Fu Caitlin Lang & Christopher Gaither Gallagher and Burk Construction Suzanne Garren Wesley Bolton & Mei-Hua Gee Denisa Legaspi & Gina Gemello Joyce Meyer & Edward Gerber Michael Butler & Elissa Gershon Keith Gilliam Alice & Stephen Goodman Jeffery Goodspeed Sharmila N. Grant Green Dot Corporation Caheri Gutierrez Holly Hancock Heather and Dan Hanly Hartley Family Foundation Howard & Pamela A. Hatayama Carl E. & Rosalind L. Holland Hull Family Foundation Laura Hyde Paul Irving Ashley Jackson Cherril A. Jackson Jacob & Valeria Langeloth Foundation Jamilah Jefferson Angela B. Jenkins Jewish Communal Fund Sheena Johnson Jonas Family Fund June & Jilian Foss Foundation Kaiser Permanente East Bay Area

Councilmember Dan Kalb Naneen Karraker Leah Kelley Abbey & Harvey Kletz Beatrice & Paul Koehn Ari Krupnick Karen Labinger Monica Lamboy Ari Langer LaureL Foundation Julie Leftwich Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence Marjorie Letter Wendy Lichtman Marla Becker and Daniel Lipton Susan Liroff Local Independent Charities of America Bonnie Lovette Catharine Lucas Chris and Amy Marks JoAnn Marks Kaitlin Hurley & Peter Marks Robbie and Leslie Marks Yara Herman & Anne Marks Samuel Martinez Sally McGrath Catherine Mclane Marlene Melzer-Lange John Montagh Sara Morency Kareen Morgan Michael Munson New Parkway Theater Helen Nicholas Michael Nieto Oaklandish Peace Education Program Carol Powers

Tina Quon Charles Ransford Rochelle E. Weintraub & Timothy L. Reagan Margaret Renik Robert and Jo Rinker Paula Roberts Johnny Rodriguez Sharon Rose Monica Rowden Douglas & Toni Rubardt Ruddie Memorial Youth Foundation S. H. Cowell Foundation Sales Force.com Foundation Elizabeth Schaaf Michael Sears Erick Kroose & Elizabeth Sekera Ricardo Garcia Acosta & Valentina Seleno Tai Hua Chen & James Shartel Amy & Ethan Shrago

Kyndra Simmons Nancy C. Skinner Sue Danne & Michael Sowle Siara Spriggs Square (Donations) State of California Neal Stephens Michael Sterba Elana Story Brian & Emily Sullivan Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation Katherine Svinarich Rick & Marcy Swain Jesse Tamplen Jeff & Jennifer Tarn California Endowment California Wellness Foundation Clorox Company Foundation San Francisco Foundation Thomas J. Long Foundation Trina Thompson Stanley

Heather Tiede Page Tomblin John Torres John Muir Medical Center Trauma Services Thomas Trent & Laurel Schaefer- Trent Eliana Troncale Paula Hawthorn & Michael Ubell UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland United Way California Capital Region Natalie J. Van Tassel United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health United States Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime Peter Van Wesep Rafael Vasquez Jamie Marantz & Monica Vaughan Gregory Victorino

Adil Vilogorac La’Ban A. Wade, II Kayla D. Krupnick Walsh & Declan P. Walsh Debra Weintraub Stanley & Constance Weisner Wellspace Health West Davis & Bergard Foundation Wendy Wiley Willett Family Foundation Rhoda Williams Jason Mongue & Kimberly Wilson Daniel Tsao & Mike Wong Thearthur & Jarrett Wright Joyce Wu Sarah M Chavez & Michael G Yoell Cheryl Young Youth UpRising Robert Steinmetz & Elaine Zahnd Mark Stuhr Jtwros & Pamela Zelnick

Youth ALIVE! accepts donations by mail or online

at YouthALIVE.org, where you can make a one-time gift or set up a monthly recurring donation.

25 YEARS OF PREVENTION, INTERVENTION & HEALING | 14

Design by Caitlin Lang | LiquidFormDesign.com

Back On Track After a Not-So Sweet 16

Looking down and speaking quietly, Jewel says everything changed when she was 16.

Always a good student, her grades and attendance began to waver, and she started hanging out with a different crowd. After she was arrested for stealing, Jewel spent four days at the Juvenile Justice Center and received two years’ probation.

Through her arrest, Jewel met Jelani Avant, Lead Intervention Specialist in Youth ALIVE!’s Pathways program. Pathways supports youth transitioning from the juvenile justice system back into school and the community.

Today, Jewel calls Jelani her “guardian angel” and “a second mother.” It didn’t start out that way.

“I had to prove myself,”Jelani says. Jelani helped Jewel get back into school. She got her a bus pass and a job, took her to appointments, accompanied her to court, and connected her with a Youth ALIVE! mental health counselor. As Jewel slowly came to trust and rely on Jelani, her home situation and deeper needs began to come into focus.

When Jewel was 16, her mom developed an increasingly debilitating drug habit. Her mom didn’t come home every night and sold their food stamps to support her habit.

Some nights, when Jewel and her little brother were hungry and confronted with an empty refrigerator, Jewel would call Jelani and Jelani would bring her Safeway gift cards.

Jelani Avant, Lead Pathways Intervention Specialist, with Jewel

“My household was not the best household,” Jewel remembers.

Jewel on her prom night

“It was not a Sweet 16,” adds Jelani.

Jelani was eventually able to get Jewel out of that home and into a better living situation. She did something else, too.

Jewel didn’t want to attend Prom. She didn’t have the money and was reluctant to ask for help. Jelani found funds to help pay for Jewel’s ticket, dress, shoes and accessories. She even took Jewel dress shopping and called in her own hair stylist. On the big day, Jewel felt elegant and confident.

Two months later, Jewel graduated from high school.

She is 18 now and with the support of a program that helps former foster youth get out on their own, she is living independently. She’ll be starting classes at Chabot College in the fall.

Where would she be without the help of Youth ALIVE! and Jelani Avant?

“I’d still be trying to finish high school and still on probation and living with my mom,” she says. “Now I feel okay about the future.”

She still goes back to the old neighborhood most days, to check on her mother and her younger brother.

Youth ALIVE! | 3300 Elm Street | Oakland, CA 94609 Phone: 510.594.2588 | Email: mail@youthalive.org YouthALIVE.org