Youth Voices Against Violence

Formerly Close to Home

A legacy of community-led prevention

Youth Voices Against Violence is a Community Action Team of local youth and adults working together to make San Luis Obispo a happier, healthier, and more equitable place to live.

This program builds on the powerful legacy of Close to Home, which began in 2000 when a group of committed neighbors in Dorchester, Massachusetts, decided to confront domestic and sexual violence at its roots. They knocked on doors, invited others into conversation, and sparked a movement by asking one bold question: What would it look like to prevent violence by building up our community from within?

The success of Close to Home inspired the California Department of Public Health to pilot similar programs across the state—including right here in San Luis Obispo. Over the years, our local Close to Home team brought that model to life through art, dialogue, and action. Today, that same spirit lives on through Youth Voices Against Violence.

What is Youth Voices Against Violence?

Youth Voices Against Violence is a Community Action Team dedicated to ending sexual and intimate partner violence before it begins—by listening to the community and working together to create lasting change.

Using a four-phase approach—Assess, Talk, Build, and Act—our youth leaders and adult allies conduct community surveys, host listening sessions, and map out shared experiences to better understand local needs. They then take action, developing projects and events that reflect the voices and values of their neighbors.

This is prevention rooted in real life. Real stories. Real people.

What have we accomplished?

  • The SLO team—first under the banner of Close to Home and now as Youth Voices Against Violence—has:

  • Organized local art showcases celebrating youth voices

  • Hosted community events and healing spaces

  • Led professional development workshops for educators

  • Received proclamations from City Council for Teen Dating Violence Action Month

  • And created powerful digital zines amplifying the lived experiences and creative expressions of young people