The City Peace Project’s mission is to mentor & advocate for students to help them know their value so that they can be at peace with themselves and with others.
The City Peace Project’s vision is to see marginalized communities thriving & driving the peace & prosperity of the city.
TCPP provides personal mentorship that emphasizes essential disciplinary skills, fosters consistent accountability, and instills character defining values in youth. Through personal mentorship, TCPP promotes life altering values and skills that equip students to cultivate lives marked by love and peace.
The story of The City Peace Project begins with Pastor Danny's personal experience as a Chaplain and lead crisis responder for youth violence intervention. In this role, he saw the heartbreaking reality of families losing loved ones to senseless violence. One vivid memory stands out: at a funeral, the air was heavy with the smell of marijuana as grieving kids tried to cope with their pain through smoking and drinking. Pastor Danny couldn't forget the cries of a mother mourning her son, and the stunned silence of friends and family paralyzed by shock. This funeral marked a turning point in Pastor Danny's ministry, fueling his determination to change this pattern.
Wherever Pastor Danny went, kids would recognize him as the community "priest," and they were always eager to connect with him. Every interaction, whether at the local McDonald's or community skatepark, revealed the depth of their personal struggles. It reinforced his sense of duty to invest in their lives.
"I wanted to be there at the beginning of the story, not the end," Pastor Danny reflects. This shift in focus led him to create a program for youth to develop their character and values. Now, spontaneous moments of engagement with youth in different parts of the community happen more often, as students know him as the Pastor who spreads the message of love and peace on their school campus, and encourages his 'peacemaker' students to do the same.
The City Peace Project is built on the belief that investing in this generation will lead to a cultural transformation, one youth at a time. We've seen the powerful ripple effect that can come from a single student's commitment to being a 'peacemaker.' With hope, we look ahead to witnessing a wave of peacemakers successfully shifting a culture of violence to one where peace overcomes.
Danny is the Founder and Executive Director of The City Peace Project. Pastor Danny serves our community as a passionate Youth Violence Prevention Activist and Latino Leadership Advocate. He is the volunteer Lead Chaplain for the City of San Jose Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force, and Lead Chaplain for Santa Clara County Valley Medical Hospital Peer Intervention Program, Trauma to Triumph. Danny works as an ally for students and schools through his coaching, mentoring and conflict resolution, and leads inspiring tech tours in Silicon Valley. He is a San Jose native with deep roots in the local community.
In 2012, Danny was awarded the White House Champion of Change in youth violence prevention, by President Barack Obama.
Danny is most importantly a husband and a dad. He and his wife, Abby, founded The City Peace Project together. They are blessed with a blended family, which includes three adult children and two little ones. Most days you can find Danny shredding at the skate park, challenging students to race him at running a mile on the track field, or taking kids out for hot wings; as he likes to say “investing in the Now Generation”.