About Neutral Ground
For over three decades, creating healthier and safer communities across Orange County through trust, presence, and restorative practice.
Why we exist
Neutral Ground's mission is to create healthier, safer communities most impacted by gang violence - breaking the cycles of violence, poverty, academic failure, and teen pregnancy through restorative practice, youth development, academic support, and the strengthening of meaningful relationships.
"We envision communities where safety, belonging, and opportunity are shared by all - where systems choose education before incarceration, restorative justice before punishment, and connection before control."- Neutral Ground Vision Statement
"This agency is homegrown and reflective of the heart and human capital of our city. We don't observe from the outside - we are the community we serve."- Nati Alvarado, CEO & Founder
Built through trust, not theory
Natividad "Nati" Alvarado was born and raised in Santa Ana. He became a young father at 15 and went through the juvenile justice system himself. That lived experience became the foundation for a life's work - helping young people avoid the same path and tackling the systemic issues that continue to push communities to the margins.
For over three decades, Nati has built Neutral Ground into a trusted institution across Southern California. His leadership is relationship-first: every partnership, every program, every decision starts with people. The organization was not designed in a boardroom. It was built on the streets, in the schools, and in the homes of the families it serves.
Leadership
The people behind the mission. Neutral Ground's leadership team brings decades of combined experience in violence prevention, youth development, nonprofit operations, and community engagement.
Natividad "Nati" Alvarado
CEO & Founder
Bree Lazalde
Operations Director
Samuel Lazalde
Program Director
Gabbi Romero
Program Manager
Samantha Santucci
Operations Manager
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Padilla
Grants & Program Staff
Our values
These values are not aspirational. They are how Neutral Ground operates every day - in the field, in the schools, and in the communities we serve.
Trust
Everything starts with trust. We earn it through consistency, honesty, and showing up when it matters most. Our relationships are built over years, not transactions.
Accountability
We hold ourselves accountable to the communities we serve, the families who depend on us, and the young people who put their faith in our staff every day.
Healing
We center healing in everything we do. Violence leaves wounds that do not heal on their own. Our programming is designed to address the root causes, not just the symptoms.
Consistency
We show up. Every day, on every campus, in every neighborhood. Consistency is what separates programs that work from programs that fade. Our presence is not seasonal.
Dignity
Every person we work with is treated with dignity and respect - regardless of background, history, or circumstance. We do not judge. We meet people where they are.
Restoration
We believe in restoration over punishment. Restorative practices are the foundation of our approach - repairing harm, rebuilding relationships, and creating pathways forward.
Why our staff model matters
Neutral Ground's staff are credible messengers - individuals with lived experience who are trusted in the communities they serve. Many of our team members grew up in the same neighborhoods where they now work. They understand the pressures, the risks, and the realities that young people face because they have lived them.
This is not a staffing strategy. It is the core of why the work is effective. When a young person is in crisis, they do not call someone with a degree. They call someone they trust. Neutral Ground's staff are those people - and that trust is what makes intervention possible and prevention real.
"We are not just hiring staff. We are building a team that reflects the communities we serve - people with lived experience, cultural competency, and the relational instinct to meet young people where they are."- Bree Lazalde, Operations Director
Every young person deserves someone in their corner
Whether you want to donate, refer a young person, or partner with us - we would love to hear from you.