Our Work | We Build The Block

OUR PROGRAMS

We develop and run programs that target and support youth directly involved or impacted by gun violence and the criminal justice system.

OUR ECOSYSTEM

HEAL THE VIOLENCE

Heal The Violence is a holistic approach to reduce gun violence in public housing. We provide youth and young adults with trauma resolution, stipends, and training for employment and independence. Our weekly sessions offer a safe space for our youth, helping them become leaders in addressing violence within their communities.

BLOCKAID

Substance misuse and lack of support have disproportionately affected Latinx and Black youth in NYC. BlockAid is a groundbreaking program developed in partnership with ASAP Foundation that trains and equips youth and young adults to become leaders in harm reduction strategies. Participants gain skills in community awareness, safety planning, mentorship, and advocacy, training them to be leaders in creating a safer, healthier future.

100 Youth, credible messengers, and partners trained on narcan and test strips.

1,000 test strips made and distributed in 2024

CREW COUNT

Crew Count is a coalition of youth dedicated to educating peers on the importance of voting, how to vote and getting people elected that represent overpoliced groups. We are organizing to fundamentally change how elected

Family Care & Employment

We hire youth through the city’s youth employment programs, empowering participants economically while training them on community-led public safety. Participants receive $25 per hour for their involvement. Additionally, we provide parents and caregivers with resume and job-finding support. Youth participants obtain their vital documents, register for professional email addresses, and gain summer employment with trusted business leaders who mentor and train them. Participants are compensated for their work and have a safe environment surrounded by adults who care about them and see them as equal stakeholders in making real change.

BROWNSVILLE SAFETY ALLIANCE

The Brownsville Safety Alliance (BSA) is a new model for coordinating community-led public safety to address the issues plaguing our most over-policed communities. Working with local partners, we identify areas experiencing gun violence and chronic quality of life conditions. We then remove the presence of patrolling officers and coordinate safety responses by diverting 911 and 311 calls to our crisis management system (CMS) partners. We also bring other community-based organizations (CBOs) and city agencies to support the needs of the community in real-time. Partners including MEL, BTTM, BIVO, Elite Learners are active on the block and take the lead on managing disruptions. Local, city, and state partners are present every day in 2-hour shifts. Partners provide resources and proactively engage community members.

THE KEYS

The Keys is a public health campaign centered around resources to engage and educate drug consumers and vendors on the risks of fentanyl contamination. The campaign, developed in partnership with vendors, consumers, and health advocates will share information on quality control, workspace safety, legal penalties, and customer service. By directly engaging this often excluded and maligned group, we can better engage our audience and share valuable information, helping them make informed decisions, reduce overdoses, and avoid the criminal-legal system.

Launching summer 2024

CRED

The CRED Academy empowers direct-service workers with training, tools and credibility to serve and protect the community. The initiative provides training to help direct service staff respond to emergency situations safely with confidence and knowledge. Working with providers, we’ve identified eight core capabilities that are critical for improving underserved community’s ability to serve and support one another. We are rolling out a new standardized approach to further professionalize the field and empower providers moving forward.

The Lawyer Responder Model

New Yorkers today are facing a well-documented lack of legal support when arrested in over-policed communities. Overworked public defenders, poor Miranda Rights enforcement, and police acting unlawfully contribute to more upcharging, higher bail, wrongful convictions, and self-incrimination. We are building a network of volunteer lawyers to play a critical role in protecting the rights of fellow New Yorkers against illegal intimidation and interrogation by the NYPD.

Global Goodness Network

The Global Goodness Network is an international initiative by We Build the Block, fostering partnerships to share insights on community-led public health, harm reduction, safety alternatives, and restorative justice across borders. We have visited and hosted partners from: