What Focus On Renewal does

Focus On Renewal is a community-based, nonprofit health and social service organization headquartered in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2006 and operating with a staff of 11–50, the organization oversees the Sto-Rox Community Violence Reduction Initiative (CVRI), a public health-driven strategy that targets individuals at the highest risk of gun violence involvement in the Sto-Rox community (McKees Rocks and Stowe, PA). The core offering is not a commercial product but an integrated set of community-delivered intervention programs — ACTES, CURE Violence Sto-Rox, and Becoming a Man — that deploy trained violence interrupters, cognitive behavioral interventions, transitional employment opportunities, and social-emotional skill development.

The underlying "technology" is an evidence-based public health methodology applied to community violence, combining violence interruption with behavioral and workforce interventions. Focus On Renewal does not develop software, AI systems, or proprietary platforms; its value is generated through direct human service delivery and trusted community relationships. The go-to-market is community-led: outreach is conducted directly through violence interrupters and partner referrals, and there is no commercial sales motion.

The organization's revenue model is government grant–funded. Focus On Renewal operates as a nonprofit supported primarily by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, which functions as its core strategic partner and primary funder. Because of this single-anchor funding relationship, the entity is exposed to public budget cycles and political continuity risks rather than commercial churn. Pricing is not applicable in a traditional sense, as services are provided to community members without direct fees; outcomes (homicide reduction in the served geography) are the relevant performance metric rather than revenue per customer.

Name

Focus On Renewal

Website

https://forstorox.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Focus On Renewal is a nonprofit organization in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, that oversees the Sto-Rox Community Violence Reduction Initiative, delivering violence interruption, cognitive behavioral interventions, transitional employment, and social-emotional skill development to high-risk community residents, funded primarily by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Violence Prevention Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Security Guards and Patrol Services (561612)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Gun Violence Prevention & Public Safety Policy Advocacy (BPAGAFAM)

Keywords

• Community violence prevention
• Public health services
• Violence interruption programs
• Cognitive behavioral intervention
• Transitional employment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mckees Rocks

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Public Funding: Focus On Renewal operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through government support, specifically from the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. The organization receives public funding to implement community violence reduction programs including ACTES, CURE Violence Sto-Rox, and Becoming a Man.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Focus On Renewal oversees the Sto-Rox Community Violence Reduction Initiative (CVRI), a public health-driven violence reduction strategy serving the Sto-Rox community of McKees Rocks and Stowe, Pennsylvania. The organization deploys violence interrupters to engage individuals at highest risk of gun violence involvement, providing cognitive behavioral interventions, transitional employment opportunities, and social-emotional skill development through the integrated sub-programs ACTES, CURE Violence Sto-Rox, and Becoming a Man.

Product overview

Focus On Renewal is a community organization that oversees a portfolio of social service programs focused on violence reduction. The core offering is the Sto-Rox Community Violence Reduction Initiative (CVRI), a public health-driven strategy that integrates multiple sub-programs including ACTES, CURE Violence Sto-Rox, and Becoming a Man. These programs collectively deploy violence interrupters, provide cognitive behavioral interventions, transitional employment, and social-emotional skill development to address individuals at highest risk of gun violence involvement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sto-Rox Community Violence Reduction Initiative (CVRI) A public health-driven violence reduction strategy overseen by Focus On Renewal in the Sto-Rox community of McKees Rocks and Stowe, Pennsylvania, achieving zero gun-related homicides in 2025. Integrates violence interruption, cognitive behavioral interventions, transitional employment, and social-emotional skill development.
• CURE Violence Sto-Rox A violence interruption and prevention program deployed within the Sto-Rox community as part of the CVRI initiative. Targets individuals at highest risk of gun violence involvement by interrupting conflict before it escalates.
• Becoming a Man A cognitive behavioral intervention and social-emotional skill development program targeting individuals at highest risk of gun violence involvement within the Sto-Rox community.
• ACTES A violence intervention program included within the CVRI initiative that provides services to individuals at highest risk of gun violence involvement in the Sto-Rox community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero gun-related homicides in 2025 - first year without a reported homicide since 2010
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Allegheny County Department of Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Allegheny County Department of Human Services provides essential support to the Sto-Rox Community Violence Reduction Initiative (CVRI) overseen by Focus On Renewal. This government partnership enables the implementation of public health-driven violence reduction programs including ACTES, CURE Violence Sto-Rox, and Becoming a Man. The collaboration represents a core strategic relationship enabling the organization's mission to reduce gun violence and homicides in the Sto-Rox community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Direct peers

• Cure Violence Global: Cure Violence Global is the originator of the CURE Violence public health model that Focus On Renewal deploys as 'CURE Violence Sto-Rox.' It is a direct peer: both train and deploy violence interrupters to reduce shootings, and operate as the central node in a national network of hospital-linked violence intervention programs.
• Roca: Roca is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that delivers cognitive behavioral therapy, transitional employment, and violence interruption to high-risk young men—the same stack Focus On Renewal operates. It is one of the most replicated community violence intervention models in the U.S.
• READI Chicago: READI Chicago connects men most likely to be involved in gun violence with paid transitional employment, cognitive behavioral therapy, and supportive services. It is a direct functional peer to Focus On Renewal's Becoming a Man and ACTES programming.
• Institute for Nonviolence Chicago: Institute for Nonviolence Chicago operates violence interruption, conflict mediation, and behavioral intervention services in some of Chicago's highest-violence neighborhoods. Directly comparable mission, methods, and beneficiary population to Focus On Renewal.
• Advance Peace: Advance Peace runs the Peacemaker Fellowship, a program that provides stipends, mentorship, and life coaching to individuals at highest risk of gun violence involvement. Highly comparable beneficiary population and outcomes framework to Focus On Renewal's CVRI.
• Safe Streets Baltimore: Baltimore's Safe Streets program is one of the longest-running violence interruption initiatives in the U.S., training neighborhood residents to mediate conflicts before they escalate. Directly comparable in model, beneficiary population, and funding mix to Focus On Renewal.

Broad incumbents

• National Network for Safe Communities: NNSC is the umbrella organization that promotes Group Violence Intervention (GVI) and related strategies at the national level. Comparable as a thought leader and capacity builder for the same violence-reduction methodology Focus On Renewal deploys, though operating at the ecosystem rather than direct-service layer.
• Philadelphia Office of Violence Prevention: The City of Philadelphia's Office of Violence Prevention runs city-funded group violence intervention and crisis response systems. Comparable as a publicly funded ecosystem player operating in the same Pennsylvania / mid-Atlantic region.

Regional players

• Philly Truce: Philly Truce is a Philadelphia-based violence interruption and mediation nonprofit serving the same regional geography as Focus On Renewal's Pennsylvania operations. Comparable intervention methodology and high-risk youth/men beneficiary population.

Emerging players

• Youth Advocate Programs: YAP operates community-based alternative-to-incarceration and violence prevention programs for at-risk youth across multiple states. Comparable in serving court-involved, high-risk youth through community-embedded staff—directly adjacent to Focus On Renewal's at-risk population work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Focus On Renewal