Charlotte, NC – All photos from Shot By ChrissyB
Youth Advocate Programs’ (YAP®), Inc. Youth Justice and Alternatives to Violence (ATV) teams – Beatties Ford Road and West Boulevard – hosted a free community Sneaker Ball on June 8 to raise awareness of gun violence prevention and connect with program participants, their families, and neighbors.
Held in June to mark National Gun Violence Awareness Month, the Sneaker Ball gave community members an opportunity to enjoy music, food, mingling and dancing – all while several community members and organizations were recognized for their support and partnership. YAP ATV and the Youth Justice Programs help detect and interrupt violence and support individuals who are at the greatest risk of engaging in violence by connecting them to educational, emotional and economic tools that provide practical life choice alternatives.
YAP® became the city’s first ATV partner with the Beatties Ford Road site in 2021 as part of a partnership with the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, using Cure Violence Global (CVG) methods working with individuals who are at the highest risk of engaging in violence. YAP®’s Mecklenburg County Juvenile Justice Program has partnered with the court system since 2019 – where through referrals – program participants are matched with a neighborhood-based YAP Advocate who champions for them and their families.
Celebrating 50 years in 2025, YAP® is a national nonprofit that partners with public systems in 33 states and Washington, D.C. to provide community-based and behavioral health services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis in corrections and residential care facilities. YAP®’s decades of service include working with many young people whose histories include serious offenses, multiple arrests, and lengthy out-of-home placements. John Jay College of Criminal Justice research found 86 % of YAP’®s youth justice participants remain arrest-free, and six – 12 months after completing the program nearly 90% of youth served still lived in their communities with less than 5% of participants in secure placement.
Honorees included:
YAP Mecklenburg County Youth Justice Program Advocates and YAP ATV Violence Interrupters and Outreach Workers
West Charlotte High School
Block Love Charlotte
Inlivian Housing Authority
For the Struggle
Diversified Performance Training
Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Association
Traletta Banks
Kim Alexander of Our Daily Bread
Alternatives to Violence – Nations Ford Road Team
Dr. Raquishela Stewart, Deputy Director, City of Charlotte’s Housing and Neighborhood Services
Chad Martin, Youth Program Manager, City of Charlotte’s Housing and Neighborhood Services.
For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.
