Penn Community Violence Prevention

Our dedicated team has one thing on their minds…

saving lives.

About Penn Community Violence Prevention (PCVP)

In line with the slogan of the Penn Injury Science Center, the Penn Community Violence Prevention (PCVP) team provides trauma-informed violence interruption services to youth and young adults in West and Southwest Philadelphia, with the goal to stop it before it happens, fix it before it gets worse, and help individuals and communities live on to see the next chapter of Philadelphia without gun violence…

PCVP is the first program of its kind at Penn, in partnership with the first hospital-based violence intervention program at Penn (the Penn Trauma Violence Recovery Program). Together they bring Penn into position to have a direct impact on the violence epidemic in Philadelphia. See other programs within the Community Violence Intervention Hub.

What we do

We are building relationships and trust with the West and Southwest Philadelphia communities at local events, such as food and resource drives.

We are connecting with local schools – students, teachers, and administrators – to prevent and reduce the impacts of gun violence on the youth.

We show up – to the locations after a shootings take place, to make it clear that this is where people live, not where people die.

We will soon manage a caseload of at-risk youth to interrupt the cycle of gun violence and provide personal development opportunities.

Connect with us on social media

Meet the Team

Andre Ali Martin

Outreach Worker | andre.martin@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

“I want to make a difference in people’s lives, especially children. Muhammad Ali once said, service to others is the rent we pay on this Earth. That is what I strive to do, be of service to others.”

Elijah Tadlock

Outreach Worker | elijah.tadlock@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

“I wanted to join this team to make a difference in my community. I feel I can really save lives here.”

Denise Johnson, MSW

Program Manager 

Sara Solomon, MPH, RD

Program Director

Contact Penn Community Violence Prevention

This contact form sends an email to our team. If this is an emergency, please contact 911.

Send us a message above or call us 215.746.0149

This phone number goes to our office, and the messages to go our emails – we may be in the field or away from our desks.

IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CONTACT 911.