DEAR FRIENDS OF YOUTH ALIVE,
My name is Caheri Gutierrez. It is with great honor that I extend warm greetings to you through Youth Alive’s 2023-2024 Annual Report as a newly appointed member of the Youth Alive Board. Joining this incredible organization marks a significant milestone in my journey. I have experienced the devastating impact of violence firsthand. I worked tirelessly as a violence prevention educator through our Teens on Target program from 2011-2016. Now as an active community leader in Oakland, I am deeply invested in the transformative work that Youth Alive continues to champion.
I am inspired by the unwavering dedication of our staff and the tangible impact we have made in the lives of countless individuals. Our collaborative efforts have not only contributed to a decrease in violence, but have also empowered individuals to reclaim their narratives and envision a future free from the shadows of trauma. It is a testament to the efficacy of our community-based approaches to violence prevention.
I am thrilled to share a highlight that fills me with immense pride: my younger cousin, Edwin Galvan, a former Youth Alive client and TNT leader, was named our inaugural Hometown Hero fellow! His journey from surviving violence to becoming a beacon of hope and resilience encapsulates the essence of Youth Alive’s mission.
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
What we do is undeniably effective, however our work is far from over. We must continue to amplify the power of our community, dismantle barriers to essential services and care, and lead with intentionality and compassion. It is through collective action and unwavering solidarity that we will usher in a brighter tomorrow for generations to come.
In solidarity,
Caheri Gutierrez, Youth Alive Board Member
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.
2023 EXPENSES
$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.
6,466,145.07
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 2023-24 school year, TNT engaged 82 Youth Leaders who: presented 91 violence prevention workshops to 259 middle school students in 8 OUSD middle schools; participated in 66 community engagements; received 2380 hours of 1:1 mentoring from our staff of professional Violence Prevention Educators.
Programs like TNT make it their mission to educate and make sure students understand the root causes of violence so they feel empowered to change things.
—Kendal Erving, TNT student
After our 2023-2024 program, among TNT youth leaders surveyed:
» 100% believe young people have the power to reduce violence in their community
» 100% understand the role that social media can play in instigating violence
» 85% would talk a friend out of carrying a gun
» 65% helped mediate a conflict in the last 6 months that would have led to violence
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 that promote a public health approach to violence prevention. A4C works with violence prevention coalitions, proposes and analyzes policy, gives testimony to legislators, and conducts community outreach.
1. AB 28
YA! sponsored Assembly Bill 28 which created a permanent funding stream for violence prevention and intervention programs around California through an excise tax on firearms and ammunition, making California the first state to tax the firearm industry’s record profits to pay for violence prevention and intervention programs.
2. Medi-Cal
We worked to implement AB 1929, which required the state of California to fund violence prevention services through Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid system.
3. Violence Prevention Funding Preserved in Oakland After Mayor Thao initially proposed a 22% cut to the Department of Violence Prevention’s budget, Youth Alive united with other violence prevention organizations and concerned citizens to call on the city council to restore DVP funding and avoid painful cuts to programs that provide critical services.
4. Meeting Oakland Leaders
Three youth leaders attended the community swearing in of California Attorney General Rob Bonta
& also met Assemblymember Mia Bonta, District 7 City Council Member Treva Reid, and State Senator Nancy Skinner.
5. Barbara Lee & Supreme Court Reform
YA! Policy and Advocacy Director spoke alongside Congresswoman Barbara Lee in calling for Supreme Court reform in response to dangerous rulings attacking commonsense policies designed to keep guns off of our streets.
6. Outside Lands
We were invited to be a featured community partner at the Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco to highlight community-based solutions to gun violence.
7. Youth Voice
One of our youth leaders was invited to speak at the California State Capitol by March For Our Lives, a national youth-led gun violence prevention organization, for a rally commemorating their 5th anniversary.
“It is a privilege to support YA!’s work as a local chapter of Moms Demand Action and we admire the staff’s dedication to developing youth leaders, stopping retaliatory gun violence and providing counseling and other services to victims and survivors.
—Janie Dobbs, Volunteer in Livermore Valley Moms Demand Action
VIOLENCE INTERRUPTERS INTERVENTION
In area teams, Youth Alive’s Violence Interrupters (VI’s) take to the streets of Oakland at all hours, responding to wherever violent conflict or escalation is brewing, to engage those involved, to bring alternative solutions, peaceful resolutions, and to defuse tensions before situations escalate to violence. VI’s are from the very communities and neighborhoods where they now work to save lives. Most have worked in street outreach for years. Most lived the street life or spent time incarcerated. They understand the nuances of community conflicts, the barriers faced and the great promise of young people in Oakland’s most impacted neighborhoods. They are mentors, problem solvers and life savers.
In 2023, our Violence Interrupters:
» Conducted 262 mediations and resolved 223 conflicts without further violence
» Completed 207 safety assessments at hospital bedsides of shooting victims and 488 community safety assessments following a shooting or homicide
» Relocated 48 families in danger to safety
Violence Interrupters provide an alternative outcome for conflicts in our community. An alternative to incarceration, an alternative to getting shot, or killed. We provide a way for both sides to come together, resolve differences, and walk away without losing face.
—Antoine Towers, Violence Interrupter
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 and the ongoing service needs of survivors, helping them get back to school, work and life.
CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE PATHWAYS
Pathways is Youth Alive’s mentoring case management program for youth vulnerable for exposure to violence, on probation, or emerging from a period of incarceration.
Our model involves regular, consistent contact with a focus on positive adult attention and support.
In 2023, Pathways:
» Mentored 24 youth, 11 of whom enrolled in school, 3 of whom completed probation
» Supported 10 youth in attaining employment
» Provided 17 youth with legal advocacy or court accompaniment
In 2023, CiC:
» Served 127 clients and an additional 46 received short-term crisis intervention
» Of those 127, only 5% were reinjured
» 89 received assistance in attaining Victim of Crime compensation
» 46 received assistance with transportation
» 30 received help with an education plan
» 28 received assistance with translation/ interpretation from a bilingual staff member
» 24 received housing assistance
I work closely with Sasha, my case manager, who is helping support me to stay in school, finish my GED, and eventually reach my dream of becoming a carpenter. Sasha really motivates me to stay on track and feel good about myself.
—Kevin S., Pathways
participant
INAUGURAL HOMETOWN HERO FELLOW: EDWIN GALVAN
“
A lot of people say it takes a village to raise a child, I didn’t understand this until I started working with Youth Alive. It was the first place that I was able to see community in action, where everybody had the same common goals, despite all coming from different walks of life. We all held each other accountable for our village - I respected that the most. I’ve now carried those lessons outside of work. I recognize how I play a role in society. Every action that I take has an impact on our community.
—Edwin Galvan
EDWIN’S STORY REAFFIRMS OUR COLLECTIVE COMMITMENT TO AMPLIFYING VOICES, UPLIFTING OUR VILLAGE, AND BUILDING A FUTURE WHERE EVERY INDIVIDUAL CAN THRIVE.
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 Marilyn Washington Harris, KWP provides urgent help applying for victim compensation, planning funerals, relocation services, and emergency financial assistance. KWP staff and Youth Alive counselors hold regular healing circles for families of Oakland homicide victims.
In 2023, KWP Crisis responders served:
» 133 families of homicide victims, including some outside of Oakland
» 22 participants in 12 of Circle of Care healing sessions and held 4 healing events
“
Jessica’s unwavering generosity, empathy, and understanding have been nothing short of a lifeline, and we cannot thank you enough for your help. It was at a time when we needed someone to lean on, to offer us guidance and compassion, and you stepped up without hesitation. You provided practical advice, emotional support, and the resources we needed to navigate through these difficult times. We’ll be forever grateful. We feel incredibly lucky to have met you.
—Mayra and Byron, KWP Family
COUNSELING SERVICES
Youth Alive mental health counselors take their therapeutic services into the field, meeting wherever survivors feel safe and comfortable. They provide community-based services in collaboration with our Intervention Specialists, who are trained in recognizing the symptoms of trauma that occur in survivors of violence. Youth Alive counselors assist each client in creating their own road map to healing and help guide them on this journey.
In 2023, our counseling staff:
» Served 75 clients
» Provided 1,132 hours hours of services
“D. had his first counseling session with Angelina and he said it went well and he feels like they connected. He asked that I reach out and say thank you and of course, I want to say thank you as well. This is a huge step in healing for D. and our family which wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for Youth Alive. So much love and appreciation sent your way!
—Shira, Counseling Client family member
YOUTH ALIVE STAFF
Alia Glover, Community Leadership Liaison
Angelique Quinley, Senior Writer
Angie Teal, HR & Operations Director
Antoine Towers, Violence Interrupter
Ayodeji Ewegbemi, Client Payment Specialist
Camilo Velazquez, School Based Violence Interrupter
Carla Ashford, Violence Interrupter
Carlos Jackson, Intervention Specialist
Chauncey Jackson, Violence Interrupter
Damari Marsh, Violence Interrupter
Darious Lewis, CIC Intervention Specialist
Denay Harris, Development Associate
Doral Myles, Citywide Violence Interrupter
Eric Adams, Lead Violence Interrupter
Ernest Ynostrosa, Intervention Specialist
Gabriel Garcia, Policy & Advocacy Director
Gericka Frison, Intervention Specialist
Glen Upshaw, Violence Interruption Manager
Gloria Morales, Crisis Responder
Guadalupe Serrano, CIC Program Manager
Hidemi Crosse, Finance Manager
Jaime Oseguera, Violence Interrupter
Janiesha Grisham, Violence Prevention Educator
Jason Williams, Program Support Manager
Jaymes Fitzpatrick, Violence Prevention Educator
Jessica Segura, KWP Manager
John Torres, Associate Director
Joe Griffin , Executive Director
Juan Cortez, Senior Violence Interrupter
Keith Wesley, Violence Interrupter
Kesse Taylor-Jenkins, Intervention Executive Associate
Kimberly Carter, School Based Violence Interrupter
Lanisha Jones, Crisis Responder
Lauren Greenberg, Development & Communications Director
Lizeth Torres Chávez, Office Manager
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
Nathan Sweasey, Mental Health Counselor
Nicky MacCallum, Healing Director, LMFT, NCC
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
Sasha Long, Pathways School Based Program Manager
Sue Danne, Finance Director
Tiara Upshaw, Program Associate
Castlmont High School
Andrianna LaFleur
Angelica Ramirez
Aron Jenkins
Carlos Avalos
Casey Powell
D’mari Lee
Davyonna Foster
Deion Johnson
Eric Ramirez
Guillermo Dimas
Jalesha Fitzpatrick
Jalyn Simpkins
James Wheeler
Jesus Garcia-Ortiz
Jon Carlo Mendez
Rodriguez
Joshua Haynes
Kambridge Gatlin
Kenaiya Powell
Khionti Massey
Naijon Rodgers
Navaeh Abdul-Salaam
Troy Jackson
Fremont High School
Ashley Rodriguez
Ayana Williams
Delvis Martin
Emily SanchezCristobal
Gabriela Perez
Imanii Hogan
Jennifer Fernandez
Kayla Tran Ibanez
Kendall Erving
Kevin Romero
Leslie Brown
Magali Ramirez
Melisa Rodriguez
Noe Piceno
Robert Celaya
Ryjanae Attaway
Samuel Oniah
Sarai Bernstine
Sophia Sanchez
Cristobal
YOUTH LEADERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SARAH CHAVEZ YOELL BOARD PRESIDENT Executive Director, Government Relations and Community Relations 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
Yajaira Montano
Skyline High School
Aidan Canright Walker
Anne Diby
Atticus Pena Rager
Benite Bazinga
Darius Brown
Dolkar Sherpa
Etinosa Oghogho
Evan Smith
Hanzhi Wong
Jack Probst-Bacchetti
Jaleeya Freeman
Jamani Henry
Jamiiya Robinson
GILBERT SALINAS Chief Equity Officer, Department of Health Services, Contra Costa County, Martinez
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
Janelle Harding
Jniyah Birchett
Johdi Watson
Jordan Smith
Komogodue
Basgayoko
London Price
Marco Riggio
Max Wendling
Meliza Smith
Syncere Wilson
Torrian Coats
Tyree Hopkins
Zorina Guidry
TNT Advisory Board
Carlos Avalos
Jalesha Fitzpatrick
Khionti Massey
Kenaiya Powell
Angelica Ramirez
Eric Ramirez
Magali Ramirez
Melisa Rodriguez
Sophia Sanchez-Cristobal
Emily Sanchez-Cristobal
THANK YOU
Roger Abraham
Donna Abraham-Moldoff
Deanna Abrams
Kings Accountability Group
Anna Akita
Akonadi Foundation
Alameda County Emergency Medical Services Department
Alameda County Health Care Services Agency
Alameda County Probation Department
Alameda County Board of State and Community Corrections
Alameda Health System
Alameda Health Systems Foundation
Meredith Alcala
Kristin Aldrich
Teresa Allen
Renato Almanzor
Priyanka Altman
Fatima Amin
Karrie Amsler
Zoe Anderson
Richard Anderson
Lenore Anderson
Gregory Archer
Helen Archer-Duste
Chelsea Arietta
Emily Armstead
Francesca Austin
Kayla Authelet
Brett Badelle
Carol Badran
Karin Bagot
Saurabh Bajaj
Michael Baker
Chuck Baker
John Balmes
Kinkini Banerjee
Bank of Marin
Karen and Jeffrey Banks
Banks Family Foundation
Lindsay Barenz
Rachel Barish
Esteban Barnaby
Peter Battaglino
Ursula Batz
Bay Area Community Resources
Jessie Becker
Marla Becker and Daniel Lipton
Sara Bedford
Gordon Beebe
Sara Benjamin
Meredith Benton
Jodie Berger
Bernard E. & Alba Witkin
Charitable Foundation
Yvonn Bernklan
Carolyn Bernstein
Annikka Berridge
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)
James Betts
Saroj Bhattarai
Stephanie Bickham
Shefali Billon
Jennifer Birch
Lila Blanchard
Hudson Blechman
Teri Bleckner
Mandela Bliss
John Bliss and Kim Thompson
Frank Block
Block INC
Zacary Blume
Sallie Blytt
Carol Bohnsack
Ruth Borenstein
Oriana Bosin
Mark Bostick
Nancy Bott
Bowser Matthews Family Fund
Michelle Boyd
Laura Brandner
Helena Brantley
Eric Breitbard
Hallie Brignall
Sara Brody
Ryan Brody
Anna Brooks
John Brown
June Brumer
Bryan Cave Leighton & Paisner
Sean Buchanan
Elinor and Evan Buchen-Miller
Brad Buckman
Elizabeth Buisker
Susan Burns
Bussolini Family
Ryan Butler
Marcus Byrd
Linda Bytof
Marilyn Cachola Lucey
Deane Calhoun Bunce
The California Endowment
California Board of State and Community Corrections
The California Office of Emergency Services
California Victim Compensation Board
California Violence Intervention & Prevention Grant
The California Wellness Foundation
Joan Cannon
CARESTAR Foundation
Neil Carman
Ian Carpenter
Catholic Charities of the East Bay
Jessie Carr
Sabrina Carroll
Susan Casentini
Zachary Chan
Tiffany Chan
Mae Chan
Sarah Chavez-Yoell and Mike
Yoell
Margaret Chavigny
Thomas Chen
Robin Chetkowski
UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital
Oakland
Children’s Support League
Josephine Chiles
James Chiles
Simone Chou
Dyanna Christie
Whitney and Brett Christopoulos
Nicole Churchill-Yip
Vera Ciammetti
City of Oakland, Human Services Department
City of Oakland, Department of Violence Prevention
Elizabeth Claman
Michele Clark
Karen Clayton
The Clorox Company Foundation
Judith Coates
Nathalie Coeller
Doris Cohen
Patricia Colapietro
Ray Colmenar
Angela Colombo
Comcast
Noel Cook
Christine Cooper
Shannon Cosgrove
Laura Costain-Simonson
Shelise Cowan
Ashley Cownan
Margaret Coyne
Zachary Craig
Rory Craig
Bruce Cribley
Emily Cronbach
Anne Cross
Christina Cundari
Carol Curtis
Laura Cutrona
Sonia Daccarett and Alex Bernstein
Alyssa Damianakes
Brian Danbury
Sue Danne
David L. Klein Jr. Fund
Virgina Davis
Fania Davis
Monifa Dayo
Nadine de Coteau
Stephanie De La Melena
Kay Decorah
Donna DeDiemar
Cathy DeForest
Kay Demattei
Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention
David DeSilva
Alisa DeWys Kanwarpal Dhaliwal
Griffin Dix
Janie Dobbs
Molly Doctors Rajashekhar
Stephanie Dominguez-Walton and Zack Walton
Martin Donaldson
Michelle Dong
Estelle Dong
Briana Driver
Missy Duffy
Kelly Dumesnil
Fiona Dunbar
Sarah Dunn
Norman Dupont
Danielle Durie
Brian Dye
Marilyn Dykstra
Eileen Ecklund
Economic & Planning Systems
Nina Eisenberg
Elevate Youth California
Heather Elgin
Scott Ellis
Kendra Elwood
Aimee Eng
Michael Enslow
Epworth United Methodist Church
Angeles Estelles
Alfonso Estrada
Michael Evans
Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund
Casey Farmer and Galen Wilson
Stefanie Faucher
Gianna Fazioli
Judith Feins
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Gladys Ferguson
Daniela Fernandez
Emily A. Filloy
Florelyn Fine
First Unitarian Universalist
Society of San Francisco
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Curt Forderer
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Golden State Warriors
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Stephen Goodman
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Lauren Greenberg
David Greenberg
Cary Greenberg
Ryan Greene Roesel
Brenda Grisham
Aisling Grogan
Steve Grouke
Melissia Grover
Anne Groves
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Caheri Gutierrez
Angelina Gutierrez
Rhoda Haberman
Robert Hahn
Dhanika Halili
Joan Hall-Feinberg
Nancy Halloran
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
Hartley Family Foundation
Angie Hartney
Caitlin Hartsell
Megan Hastings
Howard and Pamela Hatayama
Tracy Haughton
George Hauser
Paula Hawthorn and Michael Ubell
Michaela Hayes
Elise Hazlewood
Heising-Simons Foundation
Shon Henderson
Julie Henig
Laurie Herbert
Isabel Herman
Monica Hersch
Julie Hess and Satch
Slavin
Cindy Hill-Ford and Roy Ford
Kathryn Hill
Deborah Hill
Brianna Hill
Alexandria Hilton
Adam Hirsch
Kathryn and Michel Hoffman
Diana Honig
Hope and Heal Fund
Catherine Hsu
Britta Huebsch
Jeanne Hughes
Lim Hui Ben
Sally Hunter
Jane Hunter
Elise Hunter
IFPTE Local 21
Paul Irving
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J.Glynn and Co
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John Muir Health
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Desiree Jones-Rubin and Terrance Rubin
Jean Josey
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Kaiser Center for Gun Violence Research and Education
Kaiser Permanente East
Bay
Kaiser Regional
Northern California
Patrick Kaliski
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Kindling Foundation
INC.
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LaureL Foundation
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Charitable Fund
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Herman
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Michael Enea-Sal Enea O’Brien Fund
Kyle Miller
Kimberly Miller
Cynthia Miller
Corey Miller
Donald Miller Trustee
Kyle Milligan
Jill Minkus
Mitchell Kapor Foundation
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Luis and Kara Montes
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Narcisse Family Fund
National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform
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Oakland Kids First
Oakland Firefighters
IAFF Local 55
Jason Oberfest and Celeste Perron
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention
Rhiannon OLeary
Adam Olivieri
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Karely Ordaz
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Our Little LIght Foundation
Outside Lands Works Fund
PagerDuty
Lizzie Palmer
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Dana and Gary Paniagua
Gary Parkhurst
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“EVERYBODY’S LITTLE BROTHER”
Jaleel was deeply loved, cared for, and wanted. Raised from the age of two by his Godmother and legal guardian Renita Joseph, who was effectively his mother, Jaleel’s early life was marked by challenges. His birth mother struggled with addiction, and his father, overwhelmed by the situation, turned to Renita, his ex-wife, for help. It was a good move. Renita’s family welcomed Jaleel with open arms, making him an integral part of their lives. His siblings adored him, and he quickly became known as “everybody’s little brother.”
Jaleel was bright and talented, leading to his recruitment into a new Oakland charter school in seventh grade. However, his emotional pain and frustration began to surface, driven by the absence and broken promises of his birth mother. At the charter school, he faced challenges adjusting to his peers’ more affluent backgrounds, which led him to steal money from a classmate, though he still managed to make the honor roll. At McClymonds High, he struggled at first but improved his grades, determined to prove his capabilities. Then he got into trouble, leading to stints in Juvenile Hall. Each time he returned home, he seemed more angry and depressed.
The year 2020 was particularly violent in Oakland. On a sweltering Monday in September, Jaleel attended a vigil for a recently murdered friend. He didn’t tell Renita. He knew that she knew that vigils themselves could be dangerous places and sites of retaliation. Renita, at home, felt a strange
restlessness, repeatedly checking if Jaleel had forgotten his key. Later that night, she received a devastating call: Jaleel had been shot. That’s all they knew. Urgently, the family gathered at Highland Hospital, only to learn that Jaleel had been shot in the head. Jaleel was dead.
The immediate aftermath plunged them into a dark hole of grief and trauma. YA!’s Jessica Segura, part of the Khadafy Washington Project, provided crucial support, helping the family navigate the immediate crisis, including applying for victim compensation to cover funeral expenses. Renita and Jessica remain close, a testament to the lasting impact of such support during unimaginable loss.
One day, shortly after his death, Renita found a book: 3000 Questions About Me. Jaleel had answered many of the questions. There were questions like, What is the best thing about having a girlfriend and What is your greatest fear, to which he answered, “Dying young.”
Nearly four years later, Renita is able to smile when she tells stories of life with Jaleel, of teaching him to drive, of convincing him to jump in a hotel swimming pool in his underwear, of road trips to Pismo Beach for his sister’s birthday. Renita participates in YA!’s Circle of Care, a support group for mothers who have lost children to gun violence. Circle of Care is also an opportunity to help, to guide and reassure. “It allows me to step out of my grief when I can help someone just beginning.”
