Second Chance. Second Half.
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Second Chance Month is ending, but for the individuals we serve, their journey is just beginning. Every day, someone walks out of incarceration and into uncertainty. And the question becomes, what happens next?
We see men and women walk out of incarceration not just hoping for change but building it. We see families reconnect. We see young people choose a different path. Every day, individuals return home ready to rebuild their lives.
But here’s the truth:
Second chances don’t happen alone - and they don’t happen without support.
I want to be transparent with you.
FailSafe-ERA is currently navigating a funding gap. While our services continue, some of our expected funding has not yet been released, and the need has not stopped.
Men and women are still returning home. Families still need support. Young people still need guidance. We cannot pause this work!
We need your help to continue providing critical reentry services, to keep our mission moving forward, and our doors open so that no one ready for change is turned away.
$105 provides journaling workbooks for one class of 15 inmates to complete one of nine Courage to Change courses. We currently facilitate nine classes, which total $945 every 6 weeks. These classes are making a difference in their reentry into our communities.
$200 supports one month of service to our youth program to prevent generations of incarceration.
$250 supports one week of temporary housing support for our clients through second-chance housing partnerships.
$2,500 will keep our doors open another month, to house our resources and support our families as they come through our door.
o Just last week, a mother showed up at our door and fell into my arms, sobbing, because her son was arrested. Our families need support in a judgment-free zone!
o Our space gives our families a consistent meeting space on the 3rd Saturday of every month and our clients a space to meet for case management support daily.
“I didn’t think anyone would give me another chance.” We hear this more often than you might imagine. But through FailSafe-ERA’s Right Road Reentry Program, that belief begins to change. Their past does not define their future. The first half of someone’s life should not define the second. With support, structure, and accountability, individuals begin to rebuild their lives. Your support helps ensure that individuals returning home have access to:
Employment support
Mental health resources
Family reunification
Life skills and coaching
And so much more…
Many of our participants go on to become our Agents of Change: people who don’t just transform their own lives but help others do the same. Today, you can help write someone’s next chapter.
A second chance doesn’t just change a life; it changes a legacy. Because of you, someone will not walk this journey alone. Because of you, a family will be restored. Because of you, a second chance will become a second half. With the right support, that second chance becomes a new path forward.
Our Impact:
1,000+ inmates served annually
300+ returning citizens supported
85% program completion rate
65% employment success
150+ family members supported
~4% recidivism rate
If you believe in second chances…If you believe people can change…
I’m asking you to stand with us.
Donate today. Share this message. Be part of someone’s second half.
Every gift helps restore lives. Can you help?
If you can give, here are ways to do so:
Zelle: failsafeera@gmail.com
Cash App: $FailSafeERA
Check payable to FailSafe-ERA, and mailed to 7124 Salem Fields Blvd., PMB #111, Fredericksburg, VA 22407
Thank you for standing with FailSafe-ERA.
Juanita Shanks
Chief Executive Officer
