Greetings All,
On Saturday, August 24, we celebrated a milestone. Ten years of service to our communities that have been impacted by incarceration. Our event was a huge success thanks to God.
Pictures are forthcoming. Below are some highlights:
A special thank you to our keynote speaker, Fredericksburg Mayor, Mary Katherine Greenlaw; Mr. Marcus Hodges, Associate Director, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, who gave us a call to action; and Mrs. Donna Clark, Vice President, Member Services with the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), a second chance employer. To our guests who filled the Expo Center ballroom, we are sincerely and humbly grateful for your attendance and contributions to a great and unforgettable event.
A heartfelt thank you to our multiple donors and to our sponsors: - Mr. Bobby and Sally Cooney Anderson, Gold Sponsor
- The American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), Silver Sponsor - Mr. John Spencer of Spencer, Meyer & Koch PLC, Silver Sponsor - Christian Brothers and Sisters Transition Program, Silver Sponsor - Melissa Brown, Pinnacle Treatments Centers, Bronze Sponsor - Johnny and Donna Clark, Bronze Sponsor - Terri Hill, Bronze Sponsor - April Robertson-Heflin, Affordable Home Loans, Bronze Sponsor - Brenda Locke, CTI Real Estate, Bronze Sponsor - Turk, TLCleaning Services, Bronze Sponsor - Vision Health Center O.D. Dr. John C. McGuire lll, Optometrist, Bronze Sponsor - Tisha Johnson, Owner of Orleans Bistro, Bronze Sponsor - Thomas and Janice Boles of B.Premier Ventures, Bronze Sponsor - James Bell, Bronze Sponsor - Regina Price, A Lite 4 Life LLC, Bronze Sponsor
Thank you to all of our vendors: NPHC Fredericksburg, Rissa's Jewelry Box, Color Street, Plexus, Monat, CTI Real Estate, Kamryn Kares, The Prosperity Mission, Thirtyone, Revive Essentials, and Teen Enrichment.
And to the FailSafe-ERA team of volunteers who freely give of your time to provide support and services to individuals and families affected by incarceration, Bobby Anderson the FailSafe-ERA Board Chair and I are eternally grateful and sincerely appreciate each and every one of you and for your many noteworthy accomplishments, some listed below, :
- Ministered to hundreds of inmates in the Rappahannock Regional Jail and supported over 100 family members with food, gifts, and resources. - Graduated over 80 inmates from the ready set release training at the jail and over 30 juveniles from our Toastmasters youth speaks program at the juvenile detention center - Graduated 30 returning citizens from our toastmasters for returning citizens program. Awarded 6 scholarships. Congratulations to our two new recipients: Ms. Je'Niqua Morris who will be attending Old Dominion University and Mr. Kenneth Williams who will be attending Germanna Community College. - Partnership with the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), an International Trade organization, for the Right Road Job Training and Placement program and conducting our first right road job training with 10 returning citizens - Partnership with the Office on Youth and Germanna Community College to conduct our first preventing generations of incarceration seminar; and first ECHIPS (equipping children with incarcerated parents) workshop, which was made possible with support from Youth in Philanthropy of the Community Foundation - Developed our first book on building your spiritual house pathway to the next level. And so much more
Our ultimate goal is public safety and being that bridge from jail/prison to community.
Our vision and call to action: The Center of Hope, a comprehensive reentry facility to help remove the barriers that prevent returning citizens from having a carefully guided pathway to become successful, productive citizens. It will be a source for alternative sentencing solutions. The Center of Hope will provide job training and placement, access to housing and transportation, personal wellness with coaching, counseling, and mentoring and offer best practices for independent living.
Thank you Todd Dubose for capturing the 10 Year Story in the Returning Citizens magazine: