Gun violence remains one of the most urgent public health challenges in the U.S., affecting individuals, families and communities across the country. But there are community groups in neighborhoods across the country doing something about it — right now, on the ground, every day. They’re called Community Violence Intervention (CVI) professionals, and their work is saving lives.
CVI programs take a public health approach to gun violence, working directly in the communities most affected. Trained practitioners, often with lived experience, help mediate conflicts, interrupt cycles of retaliation and connect people to support and opportunity. These programs are rooted in trust, relationships and a deep understanding of community needs.
Levi Strauss & Co. has been supporting gun violence prevention efforts and working toward a safer future for our communities since 2018, when we launched of our Safer Tomorrow Fund. Since then, we’ve supported community-based organizations that are dedicated to these efforts, including organizations like LIVE FREE, Youth ALIVE!, Community Justice Action Fund and United Playaz.
A consistent throughline is the importance of community-led solutions that address the root causes of violence. That’s why we’re proud to be supporting the Ad Council’s “Agree to Agree” campaign, dedicated to raising awareness of CVI programs.
A Campaign Driven by Community
The Ad Council’s new CVI campaign, launched June 30, is designed to bring national visibility to this work and the people behind it. The campaign features:
- Video PSAs — “Community Safety,” “Breathe,” “Footprints” and “Takes a Village” — spotlighting the powerful conversations and perspectives of trained CVI professionals, showing how they use their lived experience to make a difference, day in and day out.
- Out-of-home and digital ads featuring quotes and illustrated portraits of real CVI practitioners by artist Auudi Dorsey — appearing on billboards, bus shelters and transit ads in 12 markets across the country.
- A documentary short film directed by NAACP Image Award Nominee Deborah Riley Draper featuring 17 CVI leaders and frontline workers from multiple programs. The 18-minute film will be available online and at local community screenings throughout the summer.
- A Community Safety Hub where people can learn about CVI, watch videos featuring practitioners and explore resources.
The Ad Council’s CVI campaign is a recognition that some of the most effective solutions to gun violence are community driven. They’re quietly and steadily making neighborhoods safer.
“The people doing this work deserve to be seen,” said Alexis Bechtol, director of Community Affairs at LS&Co. “Raising awareness of what they’re doing through campaigns like ‘Agree to Agree’ can help ensure that they have the support they need to continue and expand this important work.”
As one CVI practitioner said in the campaign: “We’re stopping the violence. We’re stopping the nonsense. We’re helping build up the community to where it should be all the time.”
Learn more on the Ad Council’s Community Safety Hub.
