To connect with additional at-risk youth in the South Pittsburgh region to identify needs, provide services, mitigate violent interactions before they happen, and build relationships.  Street Outreach involves prevention, mediation, and de-escalation tactics for youth, including those who are not currently attending our group sessions.  

As the eyes and ears of youth conflicts and street violence in the Hilltop, Richard Carrington, Sr. and his staff identify at-risk youth, and makes attempts to engage and redirect them.  Additionally, they form relationships with the highest risk youth to meet with them and assist in mediating situations and preventing retaliation.  Getting youth off of the streets is a priority of the street outreach component and involves either facilitating employment or encouraging returning to school, either high school, a GED program, post-secondary training program, or college.  

Examples of the Street Outreach include:

• Conduct Conflict Mediations (includes street-level intervention and home visits) to mitigate disagreements and prevent violence.

• Provide resources to families/loved ones in the community who lost someone to violence.

• Attend vigils, viewings, and funerals for all South Pittsburgh victims of violence in order to not only support loved ones but also to prevent possible retaliations, as well as disagreements sparked by emotional trauma.

• Assist those who were formerly incarcerated or attending substance abuse programs with finding places to live, employment, furniture (like beds/mattresses), and food during their transition.

  Please note this is not an exhaustive list of the work done by Voices Against Violence.