Ray Winans

D.L.I.V.E. - DETROIT LIFE IS VALUABLE EVERY DAY

Ray Winans started working in community-based violence intervention in 2012, when he learned about the death of a baby who was caught in the crosshairs of a shooting. Although he was familiar with Detroit's gun violence through past gang involvement and the loss of family members to violence, the taking of this young life spurred his full-time commitment to reducing violence in the city.

After years of working directly with his community, Ray met Dr. Tolu Sonuyi, an emergency room physician passionate about healing the trauma that devastated Detroit's Black community. Tolu shared his vision for an organization that met survivors of trauma and violence at the time of their greatest need—upon entry to the hospital's emergency room. In 2016, Ray, Tolu, and fellow violence intervention specialist Calvin Evans founded DLIVE at Sinai Grace Hospital in Detroit.

As the first hospital-based violence intervention program in Michigan, DLIVE staff meet hospital patients at their bedside and work with them to create a network of support for them and their families. DLIVE offers its members holistic services—including therapy, housing assistance, and job placement—to provide them with the opportunities needed to heal and prevent further violence and retaliation.

The organization has grown rapidly and continues to expand. After meeting Ray and Tolu in 2016, EJUSA provided technical assistance needed for them to secure their first VOCA grant (federal funds that support victim services), totaling $290,000. Three years later, they've leveraged that funding to sustain a budget of over $1 million and serve more than 150 community members. DLIVE has expanded into its second hospital.

While many people still associate public safety with police and prison, DLIVE focuses solely on what each survivor needs in order to heal. So many people who hurt someone were first victims of violence who never got that kind of support—where healing might have broken the cycle.

"We're here because we give a damn," says Ray. "Traditionally, law enforcement comes from a place of, 'Tell me who did this, so that I can find them and arrest them.' We're not talking about what you did in order to get here, whether you have harmed or shot someone and you have been harmed as retaliation...today you're the victim and we're focused on your healing journey as a survivor of violence. We're shifting the tradition in Detroit."