Question 1: What is your name, title, and organization/How long have you been a member of the team?

Donnell Gardner

Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®) Alternatives to Violence Program Manager

I have been with YAP ATV since the program’s inception in 2021.

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Question 2: Can you describe what your organization does in a nutshell?

As the ATV nonprofit partner in two of the three City of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County sites, YAP combines the evidence-based violence interruption strategies using Cure Violence Global methods with YAP’s decades-old evidence-based youth and family wraparound services model. YAP’s two ATV teams – Beatties Ford Road and West Boulevard - serve individuals ages 14-25, identified as most at risk of violence engagement, connecting them to individualized “YAPWrap™” economic, educational, and emotional tools as an alternative to violence.

A national nonprofit in 34 states and Washington D.C., celebrating 50 years this year, YAP is known for partnering with youth justice, child welfare and other systems to provide community-based services as an alternative to youth incarceration, residential care; and helps curb neighborhood violence.

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Question 3: Can you share one thing from the last year, from your work, that you are really proud of?

One of our program participants completed a fiber optics course earlier this month. The hands-on training is important because YAP ATV works hard to connect our youth and young adults to resources – whether it's employment, housing, legal, or behavioral health services. With certification in hand, this will help open the door for other opportunities. As we do with all of our youth, we believed and supported the participant, and attended his graduation.

Question 4: What does public safety mean to you? 

Public safety is protecting our communities from harm and allowing them to thrive. We serve individuals we meet while canvassing our targeted Charlotte neighborhoods or those who have been identified by schools, community groups, the youth justice system and other referring partners as being at the highest risk of being engaged in violence. Additionally, we engage and earn the trust of the public by hosting community events and meetings.

Question 5: The You’ve Got Options Campaign is all about exposing communities both online and in-person to the “options” that exist for community-led safety solutions. Why does it matter that YOUR community have options?

Options create hope, optimism and opportunities. The more options that are available to people help to change mindsets. Safety should be an all-hands-on deck approach. We all share a common goal of bettering our communities and keeping neighborhoods safe.

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