Community Passageways: Answering the Call to Action

When she was 15 and seeking guidance, Daniela began working with Community Passageways. They encouraged her to follow her dreams and supported her by helping her set boundaries and achieve her goal of finding a good job. They bridged a connection to Pagliacci. We hired Daniela at our Columbia City store. “The relationship between Pagliacci and Community Passageways is so important because it didn’t only help me find my personal independence, but it also helped me find financial independence, and that’s super important for our children and our teenagers to create the future that they need, and Pagliacci is so excited to be part of that future,” says Daniela.

Pagliacci has supported Community Passageways since 2018. In 2020, we launched a fundraiser for them with $45,000 in matching funds. The fundraiser exceeded our wildest dreams, bringing in nearly $153,000. In 2021, we started another campaign and raised almost $45,000. More importantly, we continue to help Dom break the school-to-prison pipeline by providing jobs and mentoring to Community Passageways youth like Daniela. This year, we’re helping Community Passageways hit their fundraising goal of $175,000—they’re just past $150,000 now—by offering $15,000 in matching funds. Donate now, and Pagliacci will double your contribution!

Click here to watch our CP x Pagliacci Fundraiser video: Pathways to Empowerment

Community Passageways currently serves over 500 young people a year with multiple programs, including school-based, court advocacy, diversion, community support, gang intervention, healing circles, youth advocacy, and family support. In addition, Community Passageways is increasingly taking bold action to curb gun violence.

In 2021, gun violence in Seattle soared, with fatalities topping what were then record numbers in 2020. Founder and CEO of Community Passageways Dominique (Dom) Davis stepped up. With the support of the Seattle City Council, Dom made an urgent call for 30 days of peace and took 16 young men at risk of gun violence from two rival groups out of the city—one group to Phoenix, one to Los Angeles. While away, the youth were paid for their time and worked with therapists and mentors. The intervention helped.

Community violence interventions led by individuals with the credibility to make a difference and personal connections to the communities most threatened by gun violence have found success across the nation, and the Biden administration has noticed. Recently, the President proposed a $5 billion investment in community violence interventions, including a $200 million investment in Fiscal Year 2022. At the invitation of the White House, Dom has made several trips to Washington, D.C. this year as a representative of the King County Regional Peacekeepers Collective. The collaborative meetings at the White House aim to make local interventions more effective and scalable.

Community Passageways is also a partner in Seattle’s Youth Achievement Center (YAC), an upcoming building in South Seattle that will have supportive housing, services, and community space—designed by and for young people. The YAC will offer more than 45,000 square feet of housing and services to more than 100 young people in the Columbia City area. Services offered will include health care, childcare, counseling, job and life skills classes, employment navigation, financial literacy and technology training, and a full-service cafeteria and kitchen.

Nikkita Oliver, Creative Justice Executive Director, said, "The Youth Achievement Center is a solution to some of our city’s gravest issues. It is birthed out of the brilliance and creativity of youth most impacted by gentrification, homelessness, gun violence, and the school-to-prison pipeline.”

At Pagliacci, we are proud to support Community Passageways and the vital work they do to heal our community. You can make a difference, too, by making a donation here. We’ll match your contribution. Thank you!