Public Equity and INVC Join One Aim Illinois Coalition Summit

At the One Aim Illinois Coalition Summit: Advocacy In Motion on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, representatives from Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) member organizations Public Equity and the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago (INVC) showcased initiatives their nonprofits are leading to reduce gun violence in Chicago. Both emphasized the critical role of advocacy in securing long-term funding and community support.

During his presentation, Public Equity Executive Director Tony Woods outlined the organization’s holistic approach to community healing and methods for measuring meaningful progress. He concluded with a powerful call to action, “Safety doesn’t come from programs alone; it comes from shared commitment. Together, we can move from Illinois reacting to harm to investing in healing.”

Following Woods’ remarks, Samuel Castro, INVC’s Director of Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships, reflected on how Chicago’s CVI ecosystem has evolved to meet emerging challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic to the recent deployment of ICE agents in the city.

INVC Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships, Samuel Castro, sharing the virtual stage with Yolanda Androzzo, Executive Director of the Illinois Gun Violence Prevention Coalition.

Speaking about “Know Your Rights” trainings tailored to the CVI community, Castro shared, “We were grateful to be in this space and to be able to learn from others. To be honest, in Chicago, it made us all tighter.”

Other organizations that presented include the Giffords Institute, Brady United, and Johns Hopkins University.

One Aim Illinois, a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to preventing gun violence statewide, continues to lead efforts that educate residents about firearm violence and advocate for stronger, evidence-based gun control policies.