Trajectory Changing Solutions

After violence occurs, the work is not over. The period following an incident can create an urgent opportunity to identify potential retaliation, engage those affected, and connect individuals to support. CVI organizations must have systems capable of moving from information to coordinated intervention.

The time to establish trust is not only after violence occurs. Consistent engagement creates relationships practitioners may need when tensions rise. Every genuine connection made today can strengthen tomorrow's intervention.

Next week, we will take a look into various cities seeing organizations' pop ups and canvassing in real time during our CVI National Street Connect.

We have leaders from around the country who will be on this call. Invite your CVI team members from your organizations to join us on Friday, October 2nd at 9 pm CT to showcase real CVI work in real time. Come to watch, listen, learn, and share. Let's keep building.

Trajectory Changing Solutions Local Heroes in Violence Reduction Awards honors individuals in the United States and the Caribbean who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership, innovation, and dedication to reducing violence and building safer communities. These are local trajectory changers—grassroots leaders who exemplify the core values of Community Violence Intervention (CVI) and other effective community engagement models, and work relentlessly with those most impacted by violence.

We want to acknowledge James and Damien for their stellar work in the field, and for being our 2026 recipients.

We currently taking nominations for Local Heroes who are doing exceptional work in their communities throughout the United States and the Caribbean. We will accept nominations until October 31, 2026. We want to be impressed! The 2027 Cohort will each receive $1,000 and virtual leadership coaching valued at $10,000 for six months.

Outreach workers, victim advocates, case managers, violence interrupters and supervisors spend significant time checking on other people. Teams must create a culture where practitioners are also asked meaningful questions about how they are doing.

Street outreach is not simply being visible in a neighborhood. Trained outreach workers build relationships with people at the highest risk, mediate conflicts, and connect individuals to community supports. The relationship is the entry point. The goal is reducing risk and creating pathways toward stability.

Street outreach requires awareness. Pay attention to changing environments, unfamiliar activity, escalating conversations and information coming from community partners. Courage in this work should always be accompanied by sound judgment.

We are continuing to take a peek into various cities seeing organizations' pop ups and canvassing in real time during our CVI National Street Connect.

We have leaders from around the country who will be on this call. Invite your CVI team members from your organizations to join us on Friday, October 2nd at 9 pm CT to showcase real CVI work in real time. Come to watch, listen, learn, and share. Let's keep building.

Working in a male-majority environment can mean women repeatedly having to establish expertise that would otherwise be assumed. Organizations committed to equity should examine who gets heard, trusted, promoted and given decision-making authority.