NYC TOGETHER INC
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Mission Statement
We Build The Block (WBTB) is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit to build a community-led public health and safety ecosystem starting with street level interventions and scaling to opportunities for sustained wellness. WBTB was co-founded by beloved actor Michael K Williams, radio personality Shani Kulture and public health scholar Dana Rachlin. We believe that every young men, regardless of background, is deserving of love and care. We serve at-risk, systems-impacted young men between the ages of 15 and 25 through financial literacy, workforce development, restorative justice, harm reduction, and mentorship programs. Our approach combines trauma-informed care, leadership training, and mental health support with public safety advocacy and economic empowerment. By centering equity, collaboration, and grassroots organizing, we equip young people to heal, lead, and drive systems change in their neighborhoods.
About This Cause
We Build The Block transforms public safety and economic opportunity in Brooklyn by: - Supporting systems-impacted and at-risk youth, especially young men of color ages 15–25. - Building pathways to financial stability through education, job readiness, and leadership training. - Reducing violence through mentorship, restorative justice practices, and healing-centered engagement. - Addressing public health challenges with harm reduction education and substance use prevention. - Equipping young leaders to drive civic engagement and systems change. WBTB's core programs are 1. Heal the Violence (HTV) A 40-week intensive program for at-risk and systems-impacted young men that combines mentorship, mental health support, leadership training, and workforce development. HTV participants receive stipends, counseling, and opportunities to lead community initiatives. 2. Market Watch A financial literacy and economic empowerment program where young people learn stock market investing, personal budgeting, and long-term financial planning. Participants manage a virtual investment portfolio, meet with financial industry professionals, and gain practical skills for economic mobility. 3. Block AID A peer-led harm reduction initiative that addresses substance use, community violence, and trauma. Block AID distributes educational resources, fentanyl test strips, and Narcan while training young people in public health advocacy and overdose prevention. 4. CRED Academy Training for direct-service providers in trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, restorative justice, and community mediation, equipping professionals and volunteers to support youth and families more effectively. We Build The Block is place-based — we work directly in Brooklyn neighborhoods like Brownsville, Flatbush, and Sheepshead Bay, where systemic inequities have long been concentrated. Our programs are co-designed with participants, incorporating their voices in curriculum development, decision-making, and leadership roles. We use a peer-to-peer model, training young people as mentors and credible messengers to guide others through healing and growth. We also believe in cross-sector collaboration. We partner with schools, local businesses, public agencies, and nonprofits to connect youth with resources, job opportunities, and supportive networks. Our partners include major financial institutions, workforce development organizations, mental health providers, and advocacy coalitions. WBTB believes in investing in our young men and in our community. Our Credible Messengers and social workers are paid above industry salaries and our young men receive higher stipends than industry norms ($25/hour). Impact - Hundreds of young people have received job readiness training, financial education, and mentorship. We have a 100% school attendance and graduation rate as well as 100% of our young men avoiding re-arrest. Many of our young men have taken higher-paying entry level jobs, at least $25/hour and have continued on in college or in the trades. - Dozens of community members have been trained in restorative justice and trauma-informed practices. - Our harm reduction initiatives have distributed thousands of life-saving tools such as Narcan and fentanyl test strips. - Our advocacy work has influenced public policy conversations on policing, youth justice, and public safety reform related to Raise the Age and other issues. We track success through pre- and post-program assessments, participant feedback, portfolio performance (in financial literacy programs), and long-term follow-up surveys to measure economic stability, educational attainment, and leadership engagement.