LIFE Camp

What LIFE Camp does

LIFE Camp, Inc. (Love Ignites Freedom thru Education) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in April 2002 by Erica Ford and headquartered at 111-12 Sutphin Blvd in Jamaica, Queens, New York. The organization treats gun violence as a public health crisis connected to poverty and is structured to provide youth and families impacted by violence with tools to launch sustainable careers, avert incarceration, and optimize talent. Service delivery is organized into four divisions — Violence Prevention, Wellness, Outreach, and Youth + Community — anchored by the Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Model, in which trained frontline specialists canvass communities daily to mediate conflicts, de-escalate violence, and mentor at-risk youth. LIFE Camp reports 80% violence reduction in its catchment area, 25% violence reduction citywide in NYC, 562 days with no shootings, and over 10,000 youth and families impacted across 22 years of operation.

The operational platform combines a physical facility (I LOVE MY LIFE Center offering financial literacy, wealth-building, youth workforce, emergency work, and technology training), a mobile outreach asset (the Peacemobile RV unit), and a proprietary Therapeutic Wellness Services methodology (ALIGN-ALKALINE-REMIND) covering breathing/calm practices, nutrition, and mindfulness. Supporting programs include Urban Yogis, Rites of Passage, Healing Hearts: Mothers Of The Movement, Community Garden, Wellness Tonics, and Hydrotherapy. Ancillary offerings include the Par 4 Peace annual golf tournament, Citi Field fundraising events with tiered ticketing ($71.59 general / $109.05 premium / $162.57 VIP), The Orange Print newsletter, and the lifecamp.shop e-commerce store.

Revenue is donation-driven as a 501(c)(3), sourced from individual donations (website, Cash App, Venmo, PayPal), event-based fundraising, e-commerce merchandise, and government grants routed through NYC's Crisis Management Systems (CMS) network. LIFE Camp collaborates with fellow CMS organizations across NYC's five boroughs and, since 2023, has co-hosted the University of Chicago's Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) Inaugural Practicum with the Black & Brown Peace Consortium, reaching leaders from 21 cities. Political endorsements from Senator Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Grace Meng are documented. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

LIFE Camp

Legal name

LIFE Camp, Inc.

Website

https://peaceisalifestyle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LIFE Camp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 that deploys frontline violence intervention specialists, a mobile Peacemobile unit, and wraparound wellness, workforce, and financial literacy programs to reduce gun violence and support at-risk youth and families in Southeast Queens, NYC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Violence Prevention and Intervention Services

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Recreation Therapy, Stress Management & Mindfulness Programs (EDALAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Holistic & Alternative Therapy Retreats (Naturopathy, Energy Work) (THAGAMAI)

Keywords

• Violence prevention services
• Community wellness programs
• Youth intervention services
• Gun violence mediation
• Nonprofit public health

Headquarters

HQ city

Jamaica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting violence prevention and community wellness programs. Collected via website, CASH APP, VENMO, PayPal, and direct donation.
2. Event Fundraising: Revenue generated from community events such as Citi Field baseball game fundraiser with ticket sales at varying tiers ($71.59 general, $109.05 premium, $162.57 VIP).
3. E-commerce Sales: Sale of merchandise through lifecamp.shop, including limited edition items like Planes x LIFE Camp hats.
4. Government Grants: Operates as part of NYC Crisis Management Systems (CMS), receiving funding through local and federal government partnerships.
5. Political Support: Support from elected officials including Senator Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Grace Meng who helped kick off fundraising efforts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LIFE Camp is a community-led nonprofit that delivers violence prevention and intervention services through frontline Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Specialists who canvass Southeast Queens daily to mediate conflicts and de-escalate gun violence. Its offerings include the Peacemobile mobile outreach unit, Therapeutic Wellness Services (Urban Yogis, Rites of Passage, Pain on Beats, Healing Hearts), Youth Development Programs (financial literacy, workforce, technology training) at the I LOVE MY LIFE Center, and annual community-building events such as Peace Week and the Par 4 Peace Golf Tournament.

Product overview

LIFE Camp is a violence prevention and intervention nonprofit organization founded in April 2002, offering a suite of programs centered on its Violence Intervention & Prevention (VIP) System. The core offering consists of the VIP Model, featuring frontline violence intervention specialists who conduct daily community canvassing, alongside the Peacemobile mobile outreach unit. The organization provides Therapeutic Wellness Services (TWS) encompassing programs such as Urban Yogis, Rites of Passage, Pain on Beats, and Healing Hearts; Youth Development Programs through the I LOVE MY LIFE Center including financial literacy, workforce development, and technology training; and hosts the annual Par 4 Peace Golf Tournament fundraiser. Additional offerings include The Orange Print Newsletter and the LIFE Camp Shop merchandise retail platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VIP Model (Violence Intervention & Prevention System) Frontline Violence Intervention and Prevention Specialists (VIPs) canvass Southeast Queens daily to mediate conflicts, de-escalate gun violence, mentor youth at risk of the school-to-prison pipeline, and distribute educational materials to community members.
• Peacemobile Mobile Outreach

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% violence reduction in catchment area
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• University of Chicago - Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023LIFE Camp hosted the Inaugural Practicum for CVILA, a week-long immersive training bringing together 31 emerging senior and executive leaders from 21 cities. Led by CEO Erica Ford as co-chair of the national steering committee of the Black & Brown Peace Coalition.
• Black & Brown Peace ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaborated on the groundbreaking CVILA Inaugural Practicum initiative to combat gun violence nationally.
• NYPD Training Academy (College Point, NY)minorOthers · 1 January 2023State-of-the-art facility where the CVILA Practicum was held, providing space for interactive simulations and engaging dialogue.
• Senator Chuck SchumermajorOthersSenator Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Grace Meng kicked off the 2023 fundraising effort with a generous donation, providing political and financial support.
• Congresswoman Grace MengmajorOthersCongresswoman Grace Meng joined Senator Schumer in supporting LIFE Camp's 2023 fundraising efforts with a generous donation.
• NYC Crisis Management Systems (CMS) OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with fellow CMS organizations across NYC's five boroughs for coordinated peace-keeping efforts, including annual Peace Week events and Ride 4 Peace.
• NYC CMS OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Peace Week held by NYC CMS sites in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, with City Hall press conferences and advocacy for united peace-keeping efforts.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Safe Horizon: NYC-based victim-services nonprofit offering counseling, shelters, and community programs for those affected by violence and crime. Operates in the same NYC ecosystem as LIFE Camp with overlapping client populations affected by gun violence trauma.
• Center for Court Innovation: NYC-based criminal-justice reform organization that pilots problem-solving courts and violence-reduction programs. Adjacent to LIFE Camp's violence-intervention work with overlapping goals around reducing incarceration and supporting at-risk youth in NYC.
• Urban Resource Institute: NYC nonprofit providing social services, domestic-violence programs, and community-based support to vulnerable families. Comparable scale and NYC geography to LIFE Camp, with overlapping focus on families impacted by violence and trauma.

Direct peers

• Cure Violence Global: National violence-interruption organization that treats gun violence as a public health epidemic using trained street-level interrupters. Highly comparable to LIFE Camp's VIP Model, ALIGN-style methodology, and 22-year community-canvassing approach.
• Advance Peace: Oakland-based nonprofit running the Peacemaker Fellowship, which provides stipends and mentorship to individuals most likely to be involved in gun violence. Operationally near-identical to LIFE Camp's VIP Model and aligned on violence-as-public-health framing.
• Roca: Massachusetts-based nonprofit that works with highest-risk young men through intensive street outreach, workforce development, and cognitive-behavioral programming. Directly comparable to LIFE Camp's VIP frontline-worker model combined with Youth WorkForce and Emergency Work Programs.
• READI Chicago: Chicago-based violence-prevention initiative that combines cognitive-behavioral therapy, workforce training, and supportive services for individuals at high risk of gun violence. Comparable programmatic mix to LIFE Camp's VIP and Youth Development programming.
• Black & Brown Peace Consortium: National coalition of violence-prevention organizations in which LIFE Camp's CEO Erica Ford serves as co-chair of the steering committee. Operates the kind of multi-city, faith-rooted violence intervention that LIFE Camp's CVILA practicum work extends.

Broad incumbents

• Cities United: National network of mayors focused on reducing gun violence among Black men and boys in U.S. cities. Comparable in mission scope and national convening role to LIFE Camp's work with the Black & Brown Peace Consortium and CVILA.
• National Network for Safe Communities: National nonprofit that supports the Group Violence Intervention strategy and trains cities on violence-reduction frameworks. Functions as a broader umbrella organization overlapping with LIFE Camp's violence-as-public-health methodology and CMS-style coordination role.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LIFECampInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/PeaceIsALifestyle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/life-camp
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifecampinc
• TikToktiktok.com/@lifecamp

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 LIFE Camp