From. hard times. hard at work

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "From. hard times. hard at work"

Letitia Gilmore
8 years ago
Views:

1 From hard times to hard at work

2 Ready, Willing & Able: An investment with unlimited returns. Since 2001, we ve given thousands of formerly homeless individuals the tools needed to rebuild their lives. They have become role models in their communities and heads of their households, while continuing to climb the economic ladder.

3 Homelessness is far from being put to bed. In Philadelphia, more than 3,600 people sleep in shelters each day. Another 600 individuals sleep on the streets.

4 We turn homelessness into hope. When our trainees step into Ready, Willing & Able, they get a safe, warm place to stay and receive freshly-prepared, nutritious meals. They re comforted. Then they start to see the bigger picture, that they can work, learn new skills, and get the support they need to stay sober. We re helping people to help themselves. That s when hope gets dusted off and becomes a part of their lives again.

freshly-prepared, nutritious meals. They re comforted.

5 Tens of thousands are behind bars, while millions are paying for it. Each year, Pennsylvania releases approximately 40,000 inmates from state prisons and Philadelphia jails. Of those who leave, too many return: almost 40% are back within three years. And year after year, it s costing us up to $38,000 for every inmate.

6 We replace obstacles with opportunities. Each day, Ready, Willing & Able ends cycles of incarceration. Our graduates are 60% less likely to be convicted of a felony within three years after their release, according to renowned Harvard University criminal justice expert Dr. Bruce Western.

Our graduates are 60% less likely to be convicted of a felony within

7 Too many children are missing their fathers. One out of three kids grows up without a dad. Even more disturbing, these children are more likely to live in poverty, struggle in school, and repeat the cycles of crime, addiction, and fatherless families.

Even more disturbing, these children are more likely to live

8 We transform fathers into dads. It makes all the difference in the world when kids start believing in their dads again and when dads begin to believe in themselves. Ready, Willing & Able teaches parenting skills and equips fathers to resume child support payments. Above all, we help reunite families.

dads again and when dads begin to believe in themselves.

9 The job market is tough on some, but nearly closed for others. With Philadelphia s unemployment rate beyond 10%, it s not easy for anyone to find work. But it s far worse for the 19% of African-American men who are unemployed and catastrophic for 75% of individuals who have been out of prison for a year.

10 We break barriers and open doors. Ready, Willing & Able trainees gain paid work experience, build work ethic, and acquire job skills through specialized career training tracks, including Culinary Arts, Custodial Maintenance, Security, and our Community Improvement Project, which removes more than 500,000 pounds of trash from the parks and streets of Philadelphia each year. Then we help our trainees write professional resumes, polish their interview skills, and join the mainstream workforce.

career training tracks, including Culinary Arts, Custodial Maintenance, Security, and our Community Improvement Project,

11 Ready, Willing & Able and your partnership. Thousands of members of the Philadelphia community have partnered with us in helping hundreds of homeless individuals to lead productive lives each year. But there s far more to accomplish. Please join us. Together, we can empower many more.

helping hundreds of homeless individuals to lead productive lives each year.

12 Sources City of Philadelphia Office of Supportive Housing (2012), Economic Benefits of Employing Formerly Incarcerated Individuals in Philadelphia, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia (September 2011), National Fatherhood Initiative (2012), National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (April 2010), U.S. Department of Labor (March 2012), CNNMoney, Black unemployment: Highest in 27 years (September 2, 2011), Modesto Bee, Job Hunt Even Worse for Felons (September 13, 2010)

National Fatherhood Initiative (2012), National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (April 2010), U.S.

13 Ready, Willing & Able s mission is to develop and implement cost-effective, holistic programs that meet the needs of a diverse population working to break the cycles of homelessness, addiction, and criminal recidivism. Our programs provide homeless and formerly incarcerated men with the opportunity to lead productive lives and reenter the community as responsible, independent citizens Bainbridge Street Philadelphia, PA T F Design: Mirror NYC Copywriting: Calvin Lai Research: Jocelyn Arnold Photography: Chris Callis, Shawn Escoffery, John McGinnis, Nancy Ribeck, David Wentworth

Our programs provide homeless and formerly incarcerated men with the opportunity to lead productive lives and reenter the community as responsible, independent citizens.

Promoting Successful Rehabilitation and Reentry of Ex-Drug Offenders Rachel Cooper cooper@cppp.org Jeanie Donovan donovan@cppp.org

February 21, 2013 Promoting Successful Rehabilitation and Reentry of Ex-Drug Offenders Rachel Cooper cooper@cppp.org Jeanie Donovan donovan@cppp.org To promote the successful rehabilitation and reentry