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
A Family who changes, will change a neighborhood.
Arise & Go is committed to reducing violence and providing support to the Harbor City community and the surrounding Los Angeles Harbor Area. With many years of experience, our Arise & Go team focuses on addressing the impact of gang and community violence within our communities of color.
Our mission centers on creating safe spaces and resources to counteract the harmful social factors that often lead youth of color into cycles of incarceration and violence. Through dedicated intervention services, community engagement, and meaningful support systems, we aim to pave pathways to peace for gang-impacted individuals and active gang members.
Proudly Partnered With:
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.
Gang Intervention Services
Case Management Services
Re-Entry Services
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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