Catch up with Cure Violence and their second quarter activities

Destination Innovation
Aug 4
3 min read

Updated: Aug 7

April Activities

In April, Cure Violence ICT continued its partnership with Reverie Coffee to strengthen engagement with East High School students, assist with crowd management, and help the business maintain a safe and welcoming environment for its customers. To expand the collaboration, we hosted Poetic Medicine, a community poetry showcase featuring local poets and entertainers. The event brought residents together through art while creating space for meaningful conversations about gun violence, community awareness, healing, and prevention. Throughout the month, our team also remained engaged with youth at the Juvenile Detention Facility (JDF) and Juvenile Residential Facility (JRF) through conversations and workshops focused on decision-making, conflict resolution, and positive life choices. In addition, Cure Violence successfully responded to one potential incident requiring violence interruption and mediation. Through timely communication and relationship-based intervention, the team helped de-escalate tensions and reduce the possibility of retaliation or further violence.

May Activities

During a May recap meeting, Reverie Coffee thanked Cure Violence ICT for helping create a safer, more organized environment and contributing to an increase in sales. At the same time, we continued developing trusted relationships with high-risk and at-risk students from East High School. These relationships allow students to connect with credible adults who can identify emerging conflicts, provide guidance, connect them with resources, and intervene before poor decisions result in violence, school removal, or justice-system involvement. Due to funding limitations, we were unfortunately forced to lay off all team members except leadership in early May. We responded by streamlining our approach through daily strategy meetings centered on three questions: Which young people need to be seen today? Who is currently at risk? What are we hearing in the streets? We also held two meals at neutral community locations, reaching 11 at-risk young people through conversations about changing harmful norms, setting goals, and identifying next steps.

During May, the leadership team conducted three violence interruptions and mediations, including one at a high school graduation where tensions could have disrupted an important milestone for students and families. The team’s presence and intervention helped calm the situation and allowed the celebration to continue safely. We also attended graduation ceremonies at JDF and JRF and began partnering with A Clear Direction to refer young people needing drug and alcohol counseling.

June Activities

In June, Cure Violence ICT continued its workshops and relationship-building efforts at JDF and JRF while expanding partnerships designed to support young people beyond immediate violence intervention. We partnered with NEXT MAN UP, an initiative that provides young men with positive mentorship, accountability, life skills, emotional support, and consistent examples of healthy manhood. We also joined Peace City, an Oklahoma City violence-intervention organization, for its public forum on gun violence and began planning additional collaborative events. Our team held another community meal with seven young men, offering encouragement, discussing healthy choices, and reminding them that their futures matter. Cure Violence conducted three violence interruptions and mediations during

June, using trusted relationships and street-level information to address conflicts, calm tensions, and reduce the potential for retaliation. One of these interventions resulted directly from the trust and communication developed through our partnership with Reverie Coffee, demonstrating how strong relationships with local businesses can help identify potential conflicts early and connect the team with young people before violence occurs. We also announced our partnership with Wesley Medical Center to support hospital-based violence-intervention work, with follow-up planning continuing through June and July.

Throughout May and June, we attended several graduations at traditional and nontraditional schools to celebrate participants whose persistence and progress were strengthened through their relationships with Cure Violence ICT.

Join us for The Space Between-From Conflict to Connection

A powerful conversation about transformation, redemption, and the unexpected friendships that can reshape communities. Once separated by rivalry and conflict, now they stand side by side as Violence Interrupters, proving that healing is possible and that the people closest to the problem are often closest to the solution. Through personal stories and powerful photographs, this event explores the journey from division to unity. Each image serves as a work of art and a window into lived experience, reminding us that while a picture may tell a thousand words, the stories behind those pictures have the power to change lives.

When: Sunday, August 16, 2026

Where: Harvester Arts - 120 E 1st St N

Time: 5-7pm