KAVI | Kings Against Violence Initiative, Inc.

Our work is grounded in the belief that young people are our greatest hope for a more just and peaceful world. When we partner with our communities to invest in our youth, we understand their challenges and can work to change the course of historical inequities, tackling critical social issues such as different forms of violence. Only when ALL youth are treated with compassion and given opportunities to thrive, can we ensure that all communities are vibrant and successful.

KAVI builds a community of support around youth of color to ensure their health and well-being, whether it be at home or in school, in the hospital or in their neighborhoods. We connect with youth in various settings as part of a holistic approach to violence prevention and intervention that begins and ends with recognizing their humanity. Our public health approach centers prevention (in school and community), immediate intervention (in hospitals), and community building.

Founded in 2009 by Dr. Rob Gore, an emergency room physician at Kings County Hospital, KAVI uses a trifocal approach to realize our mission - direct services, community based research, and systems based advocacy. Our unique programs centers young people as the agents of change in their own lives and uses a trauma-informed approach to uplift the lived experience of program participants as we work towards individual healing. Our community-based programs and advocacy work uses racial and social justice lens to confront systemic racism and train up youth leaders to engage their peers, community, and elected officials in community healing, revitalization, and to call for legislative action.

Who We Are

Kings Against Violence Initiative, Inc. (KAVI) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, located in Central Brooklyn, that works with individuals, families and communities to improve the environment and future for young people in low-income and underserved communities. Our mission is to prevent and eliminate interpersonal violence from the lives of young people through advocacy, peer leadership, community mobilization, and social justice. We view violence as a disease that infiltrates, infects and sickens communities. We take an innovative approach to combating violence by applying strategies from public health and medicine. In this way, we address the symptoms of violence, while also drilling down to uncover and address the underlying causes and influences. We seek to stop the cycle of violence which can lead to ongoing trauma and more violence at the individual and community level. We work on many levels – our programs support and strengthen young people while also improving organizations, communities and institutions, and, lastly, shifting cultural, social, and gender norms. We work with over a 1,000 youth, each year, who have been impacted by violence. We help young people avoid the vicious cycle of violence by supporting their healing and recovery and helping them build socio-emotional competencies and leadership skills.