Youth ALIVE

09/28/2026

🎬 TICKETS ARE ON SALE! 🎟️

Join us for The Free Your Mind: Youth ALIVE! Film Fest on Wednesday, November 11 at The New Parkway Theater in Oakland. A night out with purpose celebrating community, connection, healing, and a safer Oakland. 💚

We’ll screen two powerful films: The Missing Word, featuring Youth ALIVE! clients and exploring the experiences of families who have lost a child, and Where Peace Lives: Building Safe Communities, created by the Ad Council with our national partners to highlight the people and approaches helping communities prevent violence and build lasting safety.

After the films, stick around for a short panel conversation, food + drinks, interactive art with Oakland artist Leslie “Dime” Lopez, our partners at Visioning Beyond Violence, and plenty of time to connect and celebrate together.

This is a celebration of what’s possible when we invest in people, healing, and community.

A safe Oakland. Free from violence. Full of life. 💚

🎟️ Tickets are on sale now! Find them on our website, at the link in our bio, or in our Stories.

09/28/2026

🎬 Tickets are on sale for The Free Your Mind: Youth ALIVE! Film Fest!

Join us Wednesday, November 11 at The New Parkway Theater in Oakland for a night out with purpose celebrating community, connection, healing, and a safer Oakland. 💚

We’ll screen two powerful films: The Missing Word, featuring Youth ALIVE! clients and exploring the experiences of families who have lost a child, and Where Peace Lives: Building Safe Communities, created by the Ad Council with our national partners to highlight the people and approaches helping communities prevent violence and build lasting safety.

Following the films, we’ll host a short panel conversation with people connected to the work and the stories on screen. The evening will also feature food and drinks, interactive art with Oakland artist Leslie “Dime” Lopez, our partners at Visioning Beyond Violence, and plenty of time to connect and celebrate together.

This is a celebration of what’s possible when we invest in people, healing, and community.

A safe Oakland. Free from violence. Full of life.

🎟️ Tickets are on sale now:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-free-your-mind-youth-alive-film-fest-tickets-2001025128024?aff=oddtdtcreator

We hope to see you there! 💚

09/18/2026

Our work is rooted in trust. And trust matters.

Guadalupe Serrano, Program Manager Caught in the Crossfire program, was recently featured in The Guardian in a powerful piece.

Guadalupe spoke about what our team witnessed firsthand: how news of ICE raids affected our gun violence prevention and hospital-based work.

“We definitely saw a decrease in people going into the hospitals to treat their injuries or do follow-ups.”

For nearly three decades, Caught in the Crossfire has met young people in the hospital after a violent injury and stayed alongside them throughout their recovery. That work depends on trust, consistent care, and ensuring people can access the support they need—long after they leave the hospital.

When people are afraid to seek care, the impact can follow them long after the initial injury, making recovery even more difficult.

Thank you, Guadalupe, for bringing the experiences of our clients and frontline staff into this important conversation. And thank you to Ricky for continuing to tell stories about Oakland with care, depth, and humanity.

Read the full article in The Guardian — link in our bio.

09/18/2026

Guadalupe Serrano, Program Manager for Youth ALIVE!’s Caught in the Crossfire program, featured in The Guardian in a piece by the fantastic Ricky Rodas.

Guadalupe spoke about what our team witnessed firsthand the ways that news of ICE raids affected our gun violence prevention work.

“We definitely saw a decrease in people going into the hospitals to treat their injuries or do follow-ups. We had clients who had to do surgeries to treat their wounds to avoid infections and stop treatment, which affected them later down the road. They’re doing a longer recovery with physical therapy and therapy sessions. When it came to enrolling new patients, they were very hesitant; the trust wasn’t there.”

For nearly three decades, Caught in the Crossfire has met young people in the hospital after a violent injury and stayed alongside them through recovery. That work depends on trust, consistent care, and making sure people can access the services they need long after they leave the hospital.

Gun violence-prevention programs are another casualty of Trump’s immigration enforcement crackdown

09/14/2026

We were so grateful to see Youth ALIVE! highlighted and honored by the Oakland Roots Sports Club and our wonderful supporters at Pacific Gas and Electric Company &E at the Know Your Raíces event!

It was especially meaningful to have our Board President, Sarah Chavez-Yoell, and former Executive Director, Anne Marks, there representing Youth ALIVE! and celebrating alongside our community.

The Oakland Roots are truly about community, and it was special to be part of an event that celebrates Oakland, our roots, and the people and organizations working to make our city stronger.

This work is always better when we do it together. Partnership is what it’s all about!

Thank you, Oakland Roots and PG&E, for continuing to show up for Youth ALIVE! and our community.

09/09/2026

What a beautiful day of community

The Xicana Moratorium Block Party was a powerful celebration filled with community, art, music, great food, culture, and good vibes. From live music and inspiring speakers to moments of connection and joy, the day truly brought our community together.

A special shoutout to our VI Team for showing up and representing Youth ALIVE! so well! We’re grateful for the work you do to uplift, support, and connect with our community.

Thank you to everyone who came out, joined us, and helped make the day so special. This is what community is all about showing up, celebrating one another, and creating spaces where we can come together.

08/28/2026

We’re proud to see three members of the Youth ALIVE! team featured in The Oaklandside latest article, “How to De-escalate Conflict, According to Oakland Violence Prevention Experts.”

Doral Myles, Citywide Violence Interrupter
DeAndre Shackleford-Cooper, School-Based Intervention Specialist
MaryAnn Alvarado, TNT Program Manager

The article shares practical peacemaking, de-escalation, and bystander intervention tools from Oakland violence prevention experts.

Read the full article. Link in bio.

08/25/2026

THE 2026 BLACK AUGUST EXPERIENCE

What a beautiful night! Gathered in partnership with East Oakland Boxing Association for an evening centered on movement, connection, healing, and community.

🥊 Boxing demo + fitness fun
🧘🏾‍♀️ Meditation & healing sessions
🥗 Healthy food demonstrations
🍽️ Delicious eats
🤝🏾 Community, connection & joy

Black August is about reflection, action, resilience, and collective power , and Friday night, we lived it.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, poured into the community, and helped make the 2026 Black August Experience one to

08/19/2026

Our Caught in the Crossfire (CiC) team recently visited Washington Hospital.

The visit provided an opportunity to acclimate both our CiC and Violence Interrupter (VI) teams to the hospital environment and deepen the understanding to the life saving work.

While building stronger connections, supporting survivors, and equipping our teams with the knowledge and tools to help save lives.

08/18/2026

We’re so proud to see Torrian and Youth ALIVE!’s Teens On Target featured by ABC7 News!

Torrian is using her experiences with violence to fuel her passion for advocacy and creating positive change in Oakland. Her story is a powerful reminder that young people are leaders today.

Keep making your mark!

Read the full article - link in bio!

MakingHerMark