Ministry In Mount Vernon Helps Give New Opportunities For Life After Prison

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. -- In its second re-entry Resource Fair, on April 22 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the Station of Hope Prison Ministry at Grace Baptist Churchin Mount Vernon will bring together resources from Westchester and New York City to educate communities about the importance of stabilizing returning citizens upon release; to reduce crime, create taxpaying citizens and build strong families with faith-based values.

More than seven million people are in the custody of the U.S justice system, close to three million are mandated to community supervision whether it is on parole or probation.
Photo Credit: *FBI.gov*

Jason Bisnoff

04/18/2016 7:30 p.m.

The Station of Hope ministry believes these tenets should be the cornerstone of successful re-entry.

While more than seven million people are in the custody of the U.S justice system, close to three million are mandated to community supervision whether it is on parole or probation.

The main takeaway is that most of the people sentenced to federal and state prison will one day return home to local communities.

The Re-Entry Resource Fair will include free admission, free food, free professional clothes, free childcare and free transportation from the two and five trains for New York City residents traveling up by mass transportation; exhibit hall with vendors from major re-entry non-profit organizations as well as local, state and federal agencies.

There also will be workshops in legal, housing, health and self-sufficiency facilitated by the Legal Aid Society of Westchester, Bronx Defenders, Bureau of Prisons, NYCHA, Housing Works, Montefiore Hospital and NYC HRA, to name a few.

In addition there will be NARCAN Training to help the public respond to an opioid overdose using Naloxone presented by the Westchester Department of Health; an everything employment event, which includes an Employment Expo featuring workshops and training sessions presented in conjunction with the Bronx Clergy Criminal Justice Roundtable.

And there also will be job readiness coaching presented in conjunction with the Westchester Putnam One-Stop Employment Center and an Employer Networking Reception presented in conjunction with WestHab.

Grace Baptist Church is at 52 S. Sixth Avenue. Individuals interested in attending should register at the church website or by calling 646-883-HOPE.

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