Across the country, there are early signs of hope. A new analysis published by The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to covering gun violence in America, found that gun violence is trending downward in more than three-quarters of U.S. cities — a shift experts attribute to sustained prevention efforts, stronger community connections, and data-driven approaches that reach people before tragedy strikes.
“The steepest drops are happening in cities where investments in violence intervention have been consistent,” The Trace reported in October 2025.
For Asheville and Buncombe County, those findings are becoming visible on the ground. Despite a distressing four days of gun violence this July, the Asheville Police Department reported a 37 percent drop in violent crime this summer compared to last year. Buncombe County health officials also documented a decline in firearm-related deaths — down nearly 20 percent from 2023.
Behind those numbers are people. Relationships. Consistency. Care.
A Team Built on Connection and Trust
Amid these signs of progress, the SPARC Foundation’s team of Community Health Workers (CHWs) continues to stand as a neighborhood-based force for safety, compassion, and change.
Since launching the initiative with partners in 2019, during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, SPARC Foundation has worked to bridge the gap between community and care through its growing team of Community Health Workers focused on violence prevention. These are the people who knock on doors, mediate conflicts, host free community events, and sit with families in crisis.
This month, four new members of the SPARC Foundation team earned their certification as Violence Prevention Professionals, joining a growing network of trained CHWs serving Buncombe County. Their milestone marks more than personal achievement — it represents a community’s deepening capacity to heal itself.
Community Partnership, Common Purpose
The P.E.A.C.E. Team was developed through a trusted community partnership that includes SPARC Foundation and youth-serving organizations My Daddy Taught Me That and YTL Training Program. Together, these groups have supported families, built confidence, and opened new pathways for prevention.
Jackie Latek, Executive Director of SPARC Foundation, said in a Mountain Xpress interview during the early days of the program:
“In this day and age, it’s really hard to come up with a novel idea about anything. What we’re doing here is taking existing programs that have evidence and research behind them that have worked, and we’re pulling those programs together.”
She adds today:
“Programs like this need time to take hold. Too often, funding disappears just as change is beginning. What we’re seeing now in Asheville shows what can happen when you stay the course and invest in relationships.”
That idea — staying the course — is also echoed by Will Baxter, Buncombe County’s Community Safety and Violence Prevention Coordinator, who has seen the value of coordinated, community-based responses firsthand:
“The Community-Based Public Health Response to Violence (CPrV) model complements traditional public safety efforts by addressing the roots of violence — disconnection, hopelessness, lack of trust. When organizations like SPARC Foundation and their partners lead with compassion and consistency, the whole community benefits.”
A Moment Worth Building On
National data may show that gun violence is declining, but those who do the work every day know that progress is fragile. Real safety takes time, trust, and long-term investment.
For SPARC Foundation, this moment is both a celebration and a continuation of deeply rooted work.
“We’ve been in this work for years now,” says Latek. “We’re seeing an impact and we know this is no time to stop. The families we serve are counting on us.”
Communities are safest when they are supported, connected, and seen.
Want to help strengthen this work?
There are several ways to be part of it:
• Support SPARC’s Violence Prevention work → Donate Now
• Learn more about our Community Health Worker program → SPARC website
• Sign up for our newsletter → Sign-up NowYour support sustains SPARC Foundation’s evidence-based programs — including our trained Community Health Workers on the ground — people who turn connection into safety, and hope into lasting change.
