City of Champaign Seeks Community Volunteers to Proactively Address Gun Violence Prevention

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a determined bid to curtail gun violence, the City of Champaign has embarked on a proactive journey. Wednesday evening marked the initial phase of their mission to preemptively address the problem before it further devastates lives.

In alignment with this objective, the city has welcomed the expertise of Acclivus, a community health organization based in Chicago. The group’s involvement underscores a strategic move to incorporate external insights and solutions into local efforts.

“I just can’t come into a community and start talking to somebody, you know? They’ll be like who are you?” reflected William Edwards, the Field Director at Acclivus, emphasizing the importance of establishing trust and understanding within the community.

Jorge Elvir, who manages community relations, highlighted Acclivus’s role as a vital component of Champaign’s Gun Violence Reduction Blueprint. “Now the team is here, and they’re building the infrastructure,” he noted, emphasizing the foundational work being laid to tackle the issue effectively.

As the initiative unfolds, the city remains committed to listening and engaging with the community, striving for equitable solutions through collaborative efforts. With these steps, Champaign aims to forge a safer future by addressing gun violence at its roots.

Acclivus is specifically helping train people that can be boots on the ground at all times.

“Street outreach is engaging with individuals that are in our community that can de-escalate and defuse situations before they escalate,” Elvir said.

And they have experience in just that. The organization said that last year, they helped stop almost 2,000 interactions on the brink of turning violent.

“If you can stop an argument or even if you just stop for a little bit, break them up, go back, talk to them — you can prevent some violence,” Edwards said.

This is what the City of Champaign is looking for.

“This is a completely proactive intervention to engage into those situations, to mediate them and solve them before something escalates to gun violence,” Elvir said.

The company is looking to hire longtime community members with a certain set of skills, including influence and an established trust within the community — people willing to help — and to be helped.

“It’s a steady job that comes with benefits, retirement funds,” Elvir said. “So, it’s not only helping the community to address those issues, but it’s also building capacity within our community for individuals that are working there so that they can also change their lives around, right. So it’s a two-pronged approach.”

There will be two meetings on Thursday as well: one at the Champaign Public Library and the other at the Housing Authority of Champaign County.