PACT led the community campaign in the 1990s to make San Jose one of the most youth-friendly big cities in the country.

This is a result of the persistent work of hundreds of concerned grassroots leaders who, through PACT, got the City to make this its top priority. Millions of dollars flowed into a coordinated effort involving new after school programs and homework centers, creative new law enforcement strategies, and cooperation among the City’s top civic leaders, making San Jose the safest big city in the USA.

“We had a choice: watch the evening news and go to bed depressed about another child lost to gang violence, or we could decide to do something about these tragedies. Thank God PACT helped us get organized, and the City responded.”

Lily Tenes, PACT volunteer, key leader in the creation of San Jose’s model gang prevention programs.