National School & Community Crisis Response
The Community Crisis Support Initiative is a core pillar of the Youth Peace & Justice Foundation, dedicated to providing compassionate, immediate, and trauma-informed aid for youth-related crises, disaster response, and missing child cases nationwide. We operate on the principle that Crisis Support and Violence Prevention are parallel, interdependent efforts.
Rapid, dedicated crisis intervention serves as essential secondary prevention, stabilizing communities to mitigate long-term trauma that often fuels future violence.
The Youth Peace & Justice Foundation (formerly The Uvalde Foundation for Kids) is expanding its core mission through the formalized Community Crisis & Disaster Response Program.
This national initiative is dedicated to providing immediate aid, support, and resource coordination for youth, families, and communities impacted by unforeseen crises, disasters, and youth violence nationwide.
Program Component: The Youth Impact Team
A cornerstone of this program is the Youth Impact Team (YIT), a key group of foundation volunteers that includes student peers. This team empowers community youth as peer crisis aides and first-level trauma responders.
Empowering Youth Leadership: The YIT recruits and trains high school and college-aged volunteers to be frontline emotional support providers in the aftermath of a crisis or disaster.
Peer-to-Peer Support: Recognizing that youth often find comfort and trust in their peers, the YIT provides on-site, no-cost resources, including direct support, connecting affected students with mental health professionals, and assisting with bullying and grief counseling efforts.
Active in Crisis Response: YIT members work alongside adult volunteers, mental health professionals, and other foundation staff (including School Crisis Response Team members) at crisis outreach centers to provide emotional and practical support during the immediate response phase.
Our work extends beyond the immediate community emergency to address the root causes and provide the sustained support needed for true healing.
24/7 Crisis Response and Support
This initiative ensures that help is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with services designed for seamless application both in schools and community-wide:
* 24-Hour Crisis Response Outreaches: Trained teams are deployed immediately to communities and school campuses following a tragedy (violence, disaster, or critical incident) to provide on-the-ground triage, emotional support, and critical resource distribution.
* Trauma-Informed & Peer Support Hotline: A dedicated, free crisis line offers immediate emotional and trauma support to students, staff, and community members, providing a direct lifeline for those in acute distress.
* Resource Dissemination & Linkage: We connect affected individuals and families with accurate, up-to-date resources, including mental health services, financial aid information, and community support programs to aid recovery and healing.
Targeted Initiatives and Past Impact
We channel our resources through focused initiatives that demonstrate our commitment to action:
* Texas Flood and Disaster Response (Camp Mystic):
Following the devastating Texas Hill Country floods, the Foundation was integral in the comprehensive community response. Our support included mobilizing resources and volunteers for rescue, relief, and recovery efforts. This response was particularly focused on providing support and resources to youth and families impacted by the loss of life at Camp Mystic, underscoring our commitment to student welfare during catastrophic natural disasters.
* "Emmanuel's Hope" Initiative (No Child Lost: We Will Find You): This initiative is dedicated to assisting in the search for missing and endangered students nationwide. Named in honor of Baby Emmanuel Haro, our teams coordinate with law enforcement and leverage community networks to provide assistance, public advocacy, and potentially offer rewards to secure critical information for a child's safe return.
* Mass Tragedy Support: We have provided vital trauma support and resources to institutions like Morgan State University following campus violence, ensuring students and staff have immediate access to debriefing and counseling resources.
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Extended Statement from Founder Daniel Chapin:
"The tragedies we address, whether a school shooting, a flash flood, or another community-shattering event, are not confined to a single headline; they are symptoms of a larger need for constant vigilance and compassion. Our rebrand to the Youth Peace & Justice Foundation clarifies a truth we learned through our initial work: the fight for peace and justice for our youth is a national commitment. The Community Crisis & Disaster Response Program is that commitment in action. It is our promise to show up, to stay, and to help our children and families rebuild their lives and their sense of safety from the rubble of tragedy. This decision is not about forgetting; it is an act of sheer resiliency for all of us to build a monumental legacy from the rubble of tragedy. The light of the lost will forever inspire the purpose and safety of this work. We are building a foundation rooted in transparency, compassion, and action."
— Daniel Chapin, Founder and National Director, Youth Peace & Justice Foundation