The Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia aims to reduce the entire cycle of violence by providing a wide range of services, including support and counseling for victims and their families to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of violence.

What the org has to say: “To put it simply, we care about what we do and the livelihoods of our neighbors. Our organization is representative of the community we serve. We learn about the issues at hand, make informed decisions and take realistic approaches to live up to our mission, which is to help all families achieve their greatest potential.”

What we found: APM feels like a staple in the Kensington community, especially for Spanish speakers. Its Community Connector program aims to help members of the neighborhood tackle projects that will improve their blocks, such as clean-up efforts. They provide a wide variety of services, with many prioritizing mental health care, creative ways to work through trauma, and involvement in bettering the community.

CARES Philadelphia stands for “Crisis Assistance, Response, and Engagement for Survivors.” It is a division of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office that seeks to help families of homicide victims.

COMHAR works to create community centers, community living arrangements, co-occurring behavioral health and addiction programs, services for the Latino community, services supporting individuals with HIV/AIDS, and children and family services.

Central Division Victim Services advocates for victims and witnesses of crimes in the North & Central Divisions within Philadelphia. Their vision includes building bridges that create safer communities and connects crime victims to resources.

Healing Hurt People at Drexel is a program for people ages 8 to 35 who have been shot, stabbed, or assaulted, and for those who have witnessed these events. The goal is to help survivors heal from their physical and emotional wounds in order to support their well-being and personal healing, and, ultimately, break the cycle of violence.

Peer Response at Drexel is a violence prevention program that trains gun violence survivors to be peer mentors. Mentors will work with peers who have been affected by gun violence by using their life experiences as a tool to support healing.

EMIR is a nonprofit organization that services and supports family members and friends who have been affected by homicide.

El Concilio aims to strengthen the quality of life in Philadelphia for children, youth, and adults while promoting our community’s heritages, histories, and cultures.

G.R.O.W.N supports change and empowerment. They are available to all Philadelphians looking to highlight their ability to overcome adverse situations and exercise their civic responsibilities.

What the org has to say: “Juvenile Law Center advocates for rights, dignity, equity and opportunity for youth in the child welfare and justice systems. We envision a world that affirms the unique and developmentally distinct qualities of youth, guarantees fair and equitable treatment, and ensures opportunities for successful adulthood.”

What we found: Juvenile Law Center takes a unique approach to the work they do: They view youth as leaders in child welfare and juvenile justice reform. The organization hires young Philadelphians to create advocacy projects. As participants pursue their work, the organization also trains them to talk to the media and speak publicly. Juvenile Law Center youth often attend hearings, city council meetings, press hearings, and workshops to help them best understand how these proceedings can differ from case to case.

La Puerta Abierta provides pro-bono counseling to youth and families who cannot access services elsewhere due to language, economic, legal, or social barriers.

What the org has to say: “We are a nonprofit organization that focuses on teaching kids to think clearly so they can write with clarity. With all completed work going ungraded, our organization strives to create a non-traditional classroom atmosphere where kids can express themselves through their writing.”

What we found: Mighty Writers works to be as accessible as possible by having many locations across the city. The group believes that clear thinking is a part of anti-violence work, because a clearer mind will lead to less impulsive decision-making, and that its writing exercises can give young people in Philadelphia a clearer state of mind. The MW workspaces encourage participants to use writing to navigate their feelings and express any difficulties they may be facing. Pre-pandemic, Mighty Writers hosted an anti-violence get-together, where kids got to explain their experiences with violence directly to their local politicians.

Mothers in Charge advocates for families affected by violence and provides counseling and grief support services for families when a loved one has been murdered.

Northeast Victim Services works to empower the victims of crime through advocacy and support, and to assist the community in its efforts to reduce the effects of crime through outreach and education.

Northwest Victim Services aims to provide prompt, effective, and holistic services to all victims of crime in Northwest Philadelphia while increasing strategies to elevate community safety.

Pennsylvania Prison Society has an unrivaled degree of access to jails and prisons, and works to ensure humane conditions for incarcerated individuals. It also advocates sensible criminal justice policies.

What the org has to say: “The PMAY Artists’ Initiative is designed for serious music students who have a high musical aptitude and the motivation to pursue a professional music career on a standard orchestral instrument. It is a collaboration of leading Philadelphia music institutions that believe in providing access to music education for all students.”

What we found: Middle and high school students who know how to play instruments as part of an orchestra can audition for this prestigious program, which encourages them to pursue a career in music. Staffers attend workshops focused on trauma-informed practices.

What the org has to say: “Our mission at Power of Paint Art Academy & Management is to connect, unite, heal, and cultivate leaders who have a strong sense of community, self-awareness, and social responsibility. Our goal is to help counter issues such as depression, boredom, anxiety, esteem issues, grief/loss, and stress, among other things, by hosting art classes, workshops, and community events.”

What we found: Power of Paint started as a small group of women using art to build their self-esteem and focus on mental health. Once confined to a small North Philly basement, the organization has expanded to create hubs in West Philly, Southwest Philly, and over Zoom. POP realized that everyone in the city was being affected by gun violence and opened the opportunities up to anyone interested, young or old. Now, POP is a reliable and accessible safe space for Philadelphians to use art to address trauma.

Safe Bet at Temple Safety Net offers free cable gun locks, no questions asked, to Philadelphia families who have small children and firearms in the home.

Sankofa Healing Studio specializes in social justice-informed therapy, serving marginalized youth and adults who are trauma-impacted and justice-involved. Sankofa believes that holistic treatment approaches are needed to disrupt the development of re-traumatization, interrupt the cycle of intergenerational trauma, and heal the wounds of trauma that were experienced before incarceration.

What the org has to say: “Taller Puertorriqueño uses art to promote development within its community and the Latino Diaspora and build bridges to the Greater Philadelphia region. We are a community-based cultural organization whose primary purpose is to preserve, develop and promote Puerto Rican arts and culture, grounded in the conviction that embracing one’s cultural heritage is central to community empowerment.”

What we found: Taller Puertorriqueño’s education director, Marilyn Rodriguez, says her organization strives to help the community in any shape or form. The colorful exterior of its Kensington location invites neighbors in and highlights the community beyond the violence. The organization offers tours of their gallery and the Fairhill neighborhood’s murals as an introduction to the neighborhood’s rich Latinx history and community. Taller Puertorriqueño serves Kensington by offering bilingual services, holiday meals for those in need, a free after-school arts program, and community events.

The Eco Foundation works collaboratively with the people they serve to provide creative education, healthy food, and employment opportunities, so they can meet their needs today and thrive for generations to come. The foundation aims to liberate people from institutional and structural oppression, so they can be better for themselves and their communities.

What the org has to say: “Our mission is to amplify the voices and aspirations of our North Philadelphia community by providing arts-based opportunities for self-expression and personal success that engage youth and their families, revitalize physical space, and preserve black heritage.”

What we found: The Village strives to create a mental and physical safe space for any young person it connects with. Students at the Village learn both the artistic and business aspects of art forms like photography, ceramics, and sustainable design. The Village primarily recruits directly from the neighborhood it exists in, and relies on other organizations to help it reach young people who have been incarcerated or involved with the criminal justice system.

Trauma Victim Support Advocates is a part of Temple Safety Net. The advocates are available to assist crime victims in meeting their physical, emotional, and personal needs both during and after their care at Temple Health.

Uplift Center for Grieving Children offers peer support groups for children and teens in grades K-12 who have experienced the death of someone significant in their lives. They provide peer support and a caring adult presence to help reduce the feelings of isolation and loneliness that children often experience after death.

Victim Witness Services of South Philadelphia offers direct assistance and support to crime victims, witnesses, and their families in the three police districts of South Philadelphia (1st, 3rd, and 17th Districts).

Women Against Abuse is among the largest domestic violence agencies in the country. They provide quality, compassionate, and nonjudgmental services in a manner that fosters self-respect and independence in people experiencing intimate partner violence.

YEAH Philly works with teens and young adults ages 15 to 21 in West and Southwest Philadelphia, implementing teen-led interventions to address root causes of violence through safe and authentic hangout spaces and culturally relevant engagement.

What the org has to say: “YASP is building a youth-led movement to end the practice of trying and incarcerating young people as adults and create a world without youth incarceration.  Through our work in the Philadelphia jails, YASP provides space for incarcerated young people to express themselves creatively and to develop as leaders both within and beyond the prison walls.”

What we found: YASP is a participatory defense hub, which is a method of community organizing that empowers people to fight for themselves in the legal system. As the only participatory defense youth hub in Philadelphia, YASP has worked to end the incarceration of young people and help incarcerated youth become community leaders. Their program The Healing Futures is the city’s first pre-charge restorative justice program, which serves as an alternative to prosecution for young people who would otherwise be facing charges in the criminal justice system. YASP also offers training in youth organizing.

What the org has to say: “YSRP uses direct service and policy advocacy to transform the experiences of children prosecuted in the adult criminal justice system, and to ensure fair and thoughtful resentencing and reentry for individuals who were sentenced to life without parole as children (‘Juvenile Lifers’).”

What we found: YSRP’s goal is to have juvenile cases moved out of the adult justice system because in Pennsylvania, children as young as 10 can be charged as adults. Philadelphia has sentenced more children to life in prison without parole than any other city in the country. The organization works with clients for as long as they want, including when they are incarcerated and when they come home and need help reentering society. The staff meets monthly with trauma-informed therapists who teach them how to support the youth they are serving. YSRP offers art and poetry workshops to youth who are currently incarcerated and were charged as adults. Due to COVID, clients are now participating in those workshops over Zoom, on prison computers.