Meeting Community Needs: Alternatives to Violence (ATV)

ATV Violence Interrupters witnessed a group of kids running out of a convenience store, leaving behind a trail of stolen snacks. They spoke with the store owner, learning that this same group has stolen before– only ever stealing snack foods. Rather than the store owner calling the police, the Violence Interrupters intervened. After tracking down the kids, they learned they did not have access to three full meals when school was out of session. As a solution, the ATV team began regularly distributing food and snacks to address the ongoing need for food access in the neighborhood.