Arise & Go is a Faith Based Community Violence Intervention agency located in the Los Angeles Harbor.
With a mission to reduce violence, Arise & Go leads Community Violence Intervention efforts rooted in lived experience and community trust. Providing transformational support services to individuals and families impacted by gang lifestyle, community violence, and the justice system.
“To Arise means to rise from a defeated state. Go, means to go with a Purpose.”
Javier Martinez, Executive Director
What is Community Violence Intervention (CVI)?
Community Violence Intervention (CVI) is grassroots, evidence informed approach to reducing violence by engaging individuals and communities at the highest risk of involvement in cycles of harm and retaliation.
At its core, CVI is relationship-based and non-punitive, relying on trusted relationships to interrupt conflicts, reduce retaliation, and guide individuals toward safer and more productive paths. CVI workers use proven intervention strategies to de-escalate violence and connect individuals to opportunities and support systems that promote long-term change.
CVI is carried out by Intervention Workers, individuals from the communities most impacted by violence who possess the trust and License to Operate (LTO) needed to navigate complex neighborhood dynamics. A defining quality of an Intervention Worker is lived experience within the environments where violence occurs. While CVI workers receive professional training and follow shared standards of practice, the credibility required to safely and effectively interrupt violence comes from the relationships and understanding developed through that lived experience.
Because of this, frontline violence intervention must remain rooted in individuals who come from the community and understand the realities of the lifestyle. Others may play valuable roles in supporting the broader CVI ecosystem, through research, case management, behavioral health services, workforce development, and policy, but the core work of violence intervention is grounded in trusted community relationships.
Although CVI strategies share common principles and professional standards nationally, the dynamics of violence vary by community. In Los Angeles, where violence is heavily influenced by longstanding gang structures, intervention workers must be credible and connected to the neighborhoods they serve.
Maintaining both the professional integrity of the CVI field and the trust of the community is essential to the success of this work. When combined with wraparound services, CVI not only interrupts immediate violence, it helps address trauma, expand opportunity, and strengthen the conditions that lead to safer communities.
2025 Arise & Go Impact Report coming soon
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From Incarceration to Community Leader: Sammy’s Journey
Sammy grew up immersed in gang culture and spent three decades incarcerated as a result of that lifestyle.
While still in prison, Sammy began connecting with Arise & Go. Through consistent communication, encouragement, and re-entry preparation, a foundation of trust was built before he ever returned home.
Upon his release, Arise & Go walked alongside him during his transition back into the community. He became involved as a Community Ambassador, channeling his lived experience into positive influence.
Sammy completed the Los Angeles Intervention Training Academy and committed himself to professional growth. Today, he works full-time as a Substance Abuse Counselor, helping others navigate recovery and transformation.
He also continues to give back through Arise & Go, mentoring youth at Harbor Customs Body Shop, where he teaches them how to restore and paint classic cars. Through mentorship, skill-building, and accountability, Sammy is helping young people see a different path than the one he once walked.
His journey reflects what Community Violence Intervention is designed to do — interrupt cycles, restore purpose, and turn lived experience into leadership.
God created you for a purpose.
From Early Exposure to Frontline Peacekeeper: Ricardo’s Story
Ricardo grew up in an environment where gangs were present just outside his front door. At a very young age, the expectation was clear, this was the path he was supposed to follow. Eventually, he did.
From the age of 10, Ricardo experienced the full impact of the gang lifestyle. For years, he cycled in and out of the justice system, living the consequences of violence and instability.
But this time was different.
Upon his most recent release, Ricardo connected with Arise & Go. Instead of returning to the same patterns, he chose to volunteer, showing up consistently and committing himself to change. His dedication and leadership quickly became evident.
That commitment led him to become a Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Ambassador. Today, Ricardo is a full-time Crisis Intervention Worker with Arise & Go and has completed his professionalized training at the Los Angeles Violence Intervention Training Academy.
He now stands in the same neighborhood where he once faced risk, but instead of contributing to harm, he works tirelessly to reduce violence, mediate conflicts, and bring peace. His love for the work is evident in the trust he builds and the lives he helps redirect.
Ricardo’s journey reflects the heart of CVI: transforming lived experience into life-saving leadership.
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