As part of our pursuit of Whole Person Health for all, the Y recognizes the epidemic of violence in our communities as symptomatic of the public health inequity we are committed to addressing. “When we can start to look at violence through a public health lens and all work on the issue, then I think we can start to move the needle,” says Marvin Marshall, Director of Y Violence Prevention.

Last November, in the wake of the Ingraham High School shooting, our community was left feeling more than grief. Fear, anxiety, anger, hopelessness, numbness. We all needed space for healing. Community organizations and groups came together, and the Y Violence Prevention team showed up to provide facilitated group conversations. Unfortunately, the trauma of gun violence in our nation continues. And it’s in the continued efforts to push for change and prioritize creating resources and open ourselves up for connection that will help provide spaces for healing. “A lot of our work is in the potential overspill of that violence. People have to live with what happens,” Marshall said, and “... healthy community is an environment where young people do not have to be in survival mode, where they’re given free-flowing access to resources.”

The Y Social Impact Center does this by meeting young people where they are, supporting them with services, and connecting them to resources. Just like when it comes to addressing other public health concerns, remedying broader systemic instability and inequity is crucial to improving our communities for all.