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| A Message from Patti Giggans, POV’s Executive Director/CEO
We are PEACE OVER VIOLENCE
In Los Angeles, we are all neighbors. We are all Angelenos. When one community is impacted by violence or injustice, we all feel it. LA is a city of neighborhoods built on Indigenous and Mexican land — shaped by generations of immigrants who came here fleeing poverty, discrimination and oppression looking for safety, work, freedom and a new place to call home. Across LA County, more than 224 languages are spoken. In LAUSD schools alone, students speak 185 different languages at home. This is a region full of many languages, voices, stories, and people who come from everywhere, who care about their communities—and that’s what makes us strong.
It is a First Amendment right to protest and some of the most critical advances in our society have come through active participation by everyday people. When our neighbors are targeted or harmed, we show up. We speak out. Because here in LA, we take care of each other.
This month, we’re focusing on solidarity—the commitment to support and stand with one another. June is Pride Month, Juneteenth, Gun Violence Awareness Month, and across LA and beyond, people are coming together to protect our rights and safety. The victim/survivors and families we serve are being impacted and are fearful and hesitant to reach out and come forward. A pervasive lack of safety surrounds us all, including service providers. POV is here; that means standing with survivors, supporting our staff, volunteers and partners, advocating for our community, all the while providing ongoing 24/7 services.
We are LA strong. We are Peace Over Violence. We take care of each other.
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| Patti Giggans
Executive Director/CEO |
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| As summer begins, we remain rooted in our mission—supporting survivors, uplifting our community, and advocating for lasting change. This month, we’re spotlighting healing, pride, and violence prevention—because everyone deserves safety, dignity, and peace.
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| Pride Month
At Peace Over Violence, we are committed to creating a safe and affirming space for every survivor who walks through our doors. We proudly serve survivors of all identities–and take care to offer support that honors the many intersecting identities that shape each survivor’s experience. We believe that it is vital to offer individualized, compassionate care. This means that our advocates, volunteers, and staff are trained to treat every survivor with dignity, respect, and understanding. This means that our violence prevention programs aimed at teaching youth and adults about healthy relationships are inclusive of LGBTQ+ relationships and survivors and their unique experiences. This means that when we offer referrals to other organizations and services, we consider the survivor’s identity and experiences to connect them with the most supportive resources possible. Ultimately, our approach reflects our belief that healing and justice are rooted in recognizing and respecting each survivor’s whole self.
Happy Pride from Peace Over Violence! Your support ensures that we can continue providing inclusive care at no cost to survivors, no matter what anti-LGBTQ policies may come our way—because every survivor deserves dignity, respect, and support that honors who they truly are.
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| Juneteenth
Juneteenth marks the day when the last enslaved people in the United States were finally emancipated. At POV, this day is a reminder of the ongoing struggle for true freedom and justice for all, especially survivors of violence and oppression.
Juneteenth calls us to reflect on the intersections of racial justice, healing, and safety. We know that survivors of color face unique challenges, including systemic barriers and historical trauma that deepen their vulnerability to violence. Our commitment is to center and uplift Black survivors through culturally affirming services, advocacy, and community education.
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| Gun Violence Awareness Month
Gun violence and domestic violence are inextricably linked. In nearly half of all mass shootings, the perpetrator had previously shot an intimate partner or family member (Everytown for Gun Safety). Guns turn domestic violence deadly. Abusers use guns to threaten and control victims, and threats often lead to murder. Nearly 1 million women alive today report being shot or shot at by an intimate partner.
If we did just one thing-ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, deaths would be prevented. We know one of the most vulnerable groups in our population, children, are most affected by gun violence, as guns are the number one killer of children in the United States, exceeding car accidents and cancer. |
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| YOV Leadership Institute begins next week!
The Youth Over Violence Leadership Institute is for youth who are committed to building and making powerful social change through awareness, advocacy, and violence prevention strategies. The program empowers youth aged14-19 by educating them on healthy relationships, teen dating violence prevention, and community organization and leadership. Upon successful completion of this training, youth leaders will go back to their schools to implement campus-based violence prevention clubs, aka Students Together Organizing Peace (STOP) clubs, where they can mentor other students and identify and cultivate the next generation of leaders. POV’s Youth Institute utilizes a combination of educational sessions, trauma-informed activities and education, field trips, and internship projects.
Questions? Contact us at [email protected]. Follow us on IG @youthoverviolence for more updates!
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| | | by Jerry Simoneaux for Outsmart Magazine
A reflection on survival, resilience, and the work that still lies ahead—especially during Pride Month. |
| | by Amelia Hansford for Pink News
The US government is reportedly planning to stop monitoring violence against trans people in its latest act of trans erasure. |
| | by Everytown
Hateful rhetoric and violence against transgender people has become a feature of society and politics across the globe in recent years, but in the US—where there are more guns than people—it often turns lethal. |
| | by Kim Taylor
Children’s Book. A Flag for Juneteenth depicts a close-knit community of enslaved African Americans on a plantation in Texas, the day before the announcement is to be made that all enslaved people are free. |
| | by Rita Omokha
In Resist, Rita charts the last century of that activism, from the early years of renowned activist Ella Baker and others she inspired, to the first glimpse of allyship in the Bates Seven and a renewed examination of the Black Panthers, all the way to the current generation of young Black revolutionaries who walked American cities in the wake of the murders of countless Black Americans.
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| Join our team
Looking to join the team at Peace Over Violence? Apply today! |
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| Connect with us and join the conversation on social media
Follow us on our platforms to stay updated on our work and engage with our community. |
| | | Support healing services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. |
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| | | | | 24/7 LA RAPE & BATTERING HOTLINE |
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Committed to social service, social change and social justice
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