Chambana Sun

The City of Champaign, in partnership with Acclivus Inc., will hold a series of community meetings focused on street outreach and violence interruption as part of the Community Gun Violence Reduction Blueprint. The meetings are scheduled for Wednesday, October 29, and Thursday, October 30, 2025. Residents are invited to learn about the goals and objectives of street outreach efforts in Champaign, local hiring opportunities related to violence prevention work, and to meet leaders and staff from Acclivus Inc.

Meetings will take place at four locations across Champaign: Providence at Thornberry (October 29, 4:00-5:00 p.m.), Y on the Fly (October 29, 6:30-7:30 p.m.), Champaign Public Library (October 30, 2:00-3:00 p.m.), and the Housing Authority of Champaign County (October 30, 5:00-6:00 p.m.).

LeVon Stone Sr., co-founder and CEO of Acclivus Inc., stated, “Acclivus is honored to leverage our community violence intervention expertise, organizational infrastructure and supporting data that proves that this work works. We look forward to expanding our foundation of love by working with local residents to build safe, peaceful, economically thriving communities across Champaign.”

Jorge Elvir, Community Relations Manager for the City of Champaign’s Equity and Engagement Department, said, “Street outreach has always been at the heart of the Blueprint. Partnering with Acclivus gives us the opportunity to build trust where it matters most and strengthen community participation. Equity starts when we listen. Street outreach gives voice to those closest to the pain and power to shape the solutions.”

The Community Gun Violence Reduction Blueprint is an initiative overseen by the city’s Equity and Engagement Department through its Community Safety and Justice division. The program aims to address gun violence by focusing on underlying causes within affected neighborhoods.

For more information about the Blueprint initiative or upcoming events hosted by the City of Champaign’s Equity & Engagement Department’s Community Safety and Justice Division or its partners like Acclivus Inc., visit their official site.