A big thank you to the @harvard students studying "Philanthropy, Nonprofits, and Social Good" who selected Roca for their Social Good class grant — and to @thephilanthropylab for educating young people about the importance of giving and making this donation possible!
At Roca, we work with more than 300 young women across Massachusetts each year.
We’ve sat with young women grieving partners lost to gun violence. Young mothers trying to protect their children while navigating abuse, instability, and trauma. Women carrying guns because they don’t feel safe without them--and risking everything in the process.
We’ve seen guns hidden in diaper bags and strollers. We’ve seen young women take charges for partners and lose custody of their children. We’ve lost young mothers to gun violence.
These stories are often missing from how we talk about public safety.
But gun violence is also a women’s safety issue, a maternal health issue, and a domestic violence issue.
As Mass considers new legislation that would keep gun manufacturers accountable, @macopgv invited Roca's EVP of Women & 2Gen, Sunindiya Bhalla, alongside leaders from @giffords_org and @wab2g , to the State House to advocate for policies that reflect reality.
What happens when the system turns on one of its own?
Join us along with @roca_inc , for a powerful evening with author Jean Trounstine as she shares her debut novel Sounds Like Trouble to Me, a story of incarceration, abuse, and the strength of women building community behind prison walls.
✨ Reading + panel conversation
✨ Voices with lived expertise
✨ Audience Q&A
This timely conversation dives into justice, survival, and what it takes to create change—together.
📚 Books available for purchase at MTW
🎟️ Save your spot: /e/sounds-like-trouble-to-me-author-talk-community-conversation-tickets-1987687972232?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true
#MoreThanWords #BostonEvents #AuthorTalk #PrisonReform #WomenSupportingWomen #CommunityConversation #Justice
Roca knocked on Da'Wan's door after his street mentor was shot and killed, asking what he needed to get his life in order and stop running the streets — and stopping the cycle of retaliation in its tracks.
This kind of targeted intervention is an important factor driving gun violence in Baltimore down farther and faster than in any other American city. When we treat urban violence as a public health crisis — one that can be treated with behavioral health tools, stable housing, and employment services — we see incredible results.
Read more about Da'Wan and the forces driving peace in Baltimore Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine: https://magazine.publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/baltimores-historic-homicide-reduction
Last week at Roca's Annual Breakfast, hundreds of leaders in the public and private sectors leaned in to some of the hardest challenges facing young people and communities right now.
Susan Ulrich and @the.nic.mckinley showed us what it looks like to be more than just a statistic; to let your past push you to fight for to fight for other survivors, and shape emerging technology to transform lives.
Special guests @repmichlewitz and @massltgov emphasized the importance of support for the highest-risk young people at every level of government.
We recognized Goulston & Storrs for their relentless pro bono partnership over two decades, which has quietly enabled so much of Roca's lifesaving work.
And most importantly, we heard directly from young people whose lives have changed in profound ways—not because their journeys were easy, but because someone kept showing up, believed change was possible, and didn’t give up on them. As Vichey Phoung Award recipient Moya Lindsay reminded us: “sometimes all it takes is one opportunity, one program, one person to believe in you to completely change your path.”
Thank you to everyone who joined with us in solidarity, and special thanks to our Annual Breakfast sponsors, whose support makes it possible for Roca to continue to learn, adapt, and push forward.
Originally from Jamaica, Moya emigrated to Hartford with her mother, who allowed her to be trafficked from a young age to feed a drug habit. At 17 years old, she and her baby were removed from her mother’s home, separated, and placed into DCF custody. At risk of disengaging from school and determined not to stay in the group home she was placed in, Moya was fearful, angry, and mistrusting. But Roca kept reaching out, and eventually Moya was able to grab on.
Since enrolling at Roca, Moya completed her high school diploma, become a US citizen, and obtained her first apartment. Last week at Roca's Annual Breakfast, we honored her bravery, strength, and resilience with the 2026 Vichey Phoung Peace Award. We're so proud to have been part of her journey.
Police raids, shootings, and robberies were a normal part of life for Edwin as he grew up and watched his brothers get involved in the streets. He spent months dodging Youth Workers before Roca’s relentless outreach finally wore him down. Once he started taking the program seriously, Edwin began to slow down, reflect, and take responsibility — skills that don’t come easy, especially when you’re used to surviving off impulse and pride. He deeply engaged with Rewire CBT — thinking through the concepts, challenging himself, and using the skills even when it was hard — and became someone who others look to for help.
Last week at Roca's Annual Breakfast, Edwin received the 2026 Vichey Phoung Peace Award for making remarkable progress where it matters most: consistency, responsibility, and follow-through. We're so proud of you, Edwin!
Investing in community violence intervention has already made Philadelphia safer, with 2025 homicides dropping to the lowest levels seen in 60 years. Now the Roca Impact Institute is proud to help build on that foundation, partnering with the @opsphl to lead the Philadelphia Peacekeeper's Institute: an 8-week training grounded in Rewire CBT, designed to strengthen the skills of frontline community violence intervention workers.
Read more about the new program in Billy Penn: http://bit.ly/4niF5rj
Baltimore has seen progress driving down shootings and homicides. The 133 homicides and 311 non-fatal shootings we saw in 2025 were both historic lows.
We’ve seen a nearly 60% drop in homicides and shootings combined over the past five years. Baltimore’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS) is helping drive these reductions by intervening on those at the very highest risk of being shot or shooting someone else.
Through this partnership with @baltimorepolicedepartment , @yapinc1975 , @roca_inc , prosecutors, and the community, we are showing what is possible when you balance real accountability for those driving violence in our communities with opportunity for positive change.
Aliana had a long road to reunification with her two boys, Xavier and Kaiden.
We walked beside her at her lowest as she navigated jail, substance abuse, and complex public systems. Today, we're so proud to see her at her highest, regaining full custody of her boys and following her dream to become a baker.
Check out Aliana's baking @alibakesithappen
Watch Aliana's story on WCVB5: http://bit.ly/4nfa7QQ
Congratulations to Moya and Edwin, winners of Roca's 2026 Vichey Phoung Peace Award!
Moya was one of the first Roca Young women to participate in transitional employment at Auerfarm, where she learned to be responsible to the job and to her teammates, to manage and save her new earnings, and, underpinning all of this, to use the seven life-saving Rewire CBT skills. Since enrolling at Roca, Moya completed her high school diploma, become a US citizen, and obtained her first apartment.
Edwin has shown remarkable resilience in a high-risk environment where growth is hard and setbacks are common, and continues to show progress where it matters most: consistency, responsibility, and follow-through. He has maintained steady employment, obtained his driver’s permit, and most importantly, he’s on track to graduate high school this summer.
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Roca’s Vichey Phoung Peace Award recognizes Roca participants who, through their hard work and determination, have achieved substantial positive change in their lives, exemplifying the transformation which Roca seeks to bring about in all of the young people it serves.
While Trump & Republicans traumatize our children, @Roca_Inc has done incredible work ending cycles of trauma & violence in Chelsea & across Massachusetts.
It was a joy to visit & celebrate the federal funds we delivered to help them pour into our youth & strengthen our communities.
