Building community where healing leads.

Mission

We Move Beyond builds safe, connected, and empowered communities through violence prevention, relationship-building, well-being, and leadership development.

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A Deeper Look

We Move Beyond grew from more than a decade of restorative justice work with young people in Kalamazoo. But violence affects all of us. Over time, the work grew to include families, neighborhoods, schools, and the wider community.

Today, We Move Beyond works with the whole picture, supporting people directly and building a stronger community response around them.

Our Core Programs

    • Restorative Justice Training

    • Restorative Practices in Schools

    • Conflict Transformation

  • Justice Lifted is a community-based suspension and arrest diversion program for young people at elevated risk of deeper justice-system involvement. Through restorative conferences, individualized planning, mentorship, and social-emotional skill building, family engagement, and resource navigation, youth are supported in repairing harm and staying connected to their families, schools, and communities.

  • We Move Beyond convenes and holds KAL-SAFE, a collaborative network of grassroots outreach workers, community organizations, schools, public safety partners, and others responding to gun violence in Kalamazoo.

    The network keeps people connected across sectors. Partners share referrals, coordinate support, and build stronger response pathways together.

    KAL-SAFE helps youth and families navigate immediate safety needs. It also helps keep people connected to longer-term resources and support.

  • The Community Violence Intervention Academy is a 96-hour certificate program built by We Move Beyond in partnership with more than 25 organizations across Kalamazoo. WMB brings together people from different sectors and areas of expertise to contribute training in ACEs, de-escalation, restorative practices, Red Cross response, healing approaches, and more.

    Through that shared training model, WMB has helped develop 43 community-based trainers who can carry those skills back into organizations and neighborhoods across Kalamazoo. The result is a broader, more well-rounded team equipped with multiple strategies for responding to violence, supporting healing, and navigating complex situations.

Our People

  • Tia Whitley, Executive Director

  • Ashley Bergeon, Director of Program Operations

    Whole team incoming!

Fuel the Mission

Support We Move Beyond by donating or stay in touch by emailing connect@wemove-beyond.org.

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