BRJD Speaker Summit Event
We are grateful to Blue Ridge Juvenile Detention for inviting us to hold a Speaker Summit Event, building on our monthly speaker series. We had a great experience with the kids, past speakers, good food and events. We are also grateful for NBC29 news coming out to cover the event.
Second Chancer Cruise
We are excited to be fundraising on the high seas this November. You are cordially invited to join Jesse Crosson, founder of Second Chancer Foundation on a cruise November 18th-22nd, sailing out of Miami, Florida. A portion of each ticket sold will go to support Second Chancer Foundation and the work we’re doing. We look forward to the chance to meet people, talk about our work and find new ways to serve communities by helping provide a second chance. Cabins can be booked by calling Jeanette at Ready Go Travel – (432)308-0726. We also have a raffle fundraiser for a premium balcony cabin donated by Baillie & Associates Wealth Management. Tickets are $10 each and all proceeds go to support Second Chancer Foundation. You can buy your ticket here.
Others doing good work
At Second Chancer Foundation we are focused on bridging the gap between incarceration and opportunity. This means working with other leaders and groups doing the same – as the proverb says, if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
Thank you to each of the dozens of groups and individuals we have met with over the past months. We look forward to all the things we will accomplish together.
BRJD Update!
Thank you Antwon Brinson, Sincere Allah, Lorenzo Collins, Eddie Howard and Martize Tolbert for coming to speak at our monthly leadership series at BRJD! Your experiences have really made a difference for the kids. The challenges you have all faced, and shared openly, as well as the ways you have over come them has given the kids a roadmap and motivation to do something different and build a life outside of what they have known and imagined.
News Coverage – Fundraising Event
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – A Charlottesville community activist is using his non-profit to make an impact.
Source- https://www.nbc29.com/2023/09/29/second-chancer-foundation-holds-mixer/
The Second Chancer Foundation was started by Jesse Crosson and helps those getting out of prison get back into the community.
Jesse Crosson knows just how hard that transition can be, after being given a second chance, himself.
“Just after my 18th birthday, I committed a robbery and unrelated non-fatal shooting, and I went to prison right here in Albemarle County,” said Crosson. “After 19 years, Governor Ralph Northam gave me a conditional pardon and released me with 10 years left in my sentence.”
Now, Crosson works to help those in similar situations.
Thursday night, the foundation held a mixer at Common House to get its message out into the Charlottesville community.
“We’re a nonprofit that is founded from formerly incarcerated people, and we just feel like who better knows what that population needs to be successful,” said Marci Marie Simmons, a board member with the foundation.
The non-profit works with those behind bars and those transitioning back into society. By partnering with volunteers and community members, the Second Chancer Foundation hopes to reach as many people as it can.
Successful Event!
Thank you for everyone who came out to support the Second Chancer Foundation community event last night! We were grateful to make connections and receive support for the projects we have to connect incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals with mentors! We look forward to what this next chapter brings.
Second Juvenile Leadership Summit
We were excited to host our second Leadership Summit at BRJD today. Josh Pritchett, CEO of VEOCareers and a dedicated board member at Second Chancer Foundation went in to share his story and path to success. More importantly he shared his knowledge and perspective and encouraged the kids to reach out to him upon release. He is walking the walk to help those who are where he has been and it could not have gone better. Thank you to everyone who supports our mission and makes events like this possible!
July – Halfway through the year!
The year has flown by. We are grateful to have signed an MOU with Network2Work to ensure more people have access to employment after release. We are also proud of Quentin for taking point on our first leadership summit at the juvenile center! Many more to come.
New Partnerships
This May we are excited to be exploring partnerships with CVCJ (the local Restorative Justice program), LOHM (teaching digital skills to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons) and Cisco Systems (job training and placement for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons). It’s exciting to see so many relationships come out of a shared passion for change and we’re looking forward to seeing the results!
Latest Update
We’ve been hard at work, visiting both the juvenile facility and the local jail. We’re excited that one of the local juveniles is going to be furloughed to witness a local festival and expose him to a different side of our city. We’re printing stickers with the design created by the artists at BRJD as well as attending events to advocate for community support for the incarcerated juveniles and adults, and especially upon their release. We know that people with opportunities fare far better than those without. That’s why we’re also working on a tech partnership that would allow training for the incarcerated population and help create an incarceration to work pipeline.