Community

D.C. Helps Returning Citizens with READY Assistance

WASHINGTON INFORMER — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has long expressed concern about returning citizens in the District of Columbia

Published

5 years ago

February 21, 2019

Oakland Post

By James Wright

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has long expressed concern about returning citizens in the District of Columbia, going back to her days as a Ward 4 council member.

As mayor, she has made it a point to connect with these District residents and her latest initiative will make sure they will be able to get back into the mainstream of life in the city.

On Feb. 12, the mayor launched the READY (Resources to Empower and Develop You) Center that will serve as a one-stop shop where returning citizens can access critical post-release services, obtain vital documents and get referrals to treatment programs for substance abuse and mental health.

“To give more returning citizens a fair shot, we must continue building strong support systems for men and women transitioning back into the community,” the mayor said. “By partnering with community-based organizations and working across D.C. government agencies, we can set more residents up for success by providing more immediate access to employment, housing, educational opportunities, health care and more.”

The READY Center sits behind the Correctional Treatment Facility located at 1901 E Street SE.

MORCA (Mayor’s Office of Returning Citizen Affairs) and the departments of corrections, behavioral health, human services, employment services, motor vehicles and community-based organizations work as partners to coordinate the activities of the READY Center.

There are approximately 60,000 returning citizens living in the District and from 2,000 to 8,000 come back to the city after serving their time.

Many years ago, a returning citizen would come back to the District from Lorton or from another federal facility and it would be on them to get back on their feet to become a productive member of society. The District had churches and some community organizations to help returning citizens but hardly any program from the city government until Marion Barry became mayor in 1979.

Barry worked to reduce recidivism during his years as mayor and energized the city’s programs to serve returning citizens.

With the advent of the READY Center, an incarcerated District resident will fill out an interest card 30 days prior to their release. When they are in the city, they will visit the READY Center and the staff will connect them with its partners for further action.

All follow-up visits will take place at the agencies tasked with helping the returning citizens. Brian Ferguson, the director of MORCA, expressed satisfaction with the program.

“This marks a significant milestone in the District’s already nationally recognized re-entry services, as several core service agencies collaborate to ensure that the men and women leaving the jail are given direct access to the essential resources needed to create successful transitions back into society,” Ferguson said.

Quincy Booth, the director of corrections, said the re-entry process “begins the day of admittance into our facilities.”

“We want them to leave with a plan,” Booth said. “This approach helps us to reduce recidivism.”

Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes, director of the city’s employment services department, embraces the READY Center saying “investing in our returning citizen population is a win-win proposition that benefits our residents and impacts our neighborhoods and communities.”

Deborah Rowe, executive director of Returning Citizens United, said the READY Center has a strong mission to fulfill.

“The Bowser administration has assembled a good team and this will be good for people coming home from being incarcerated,” she said.

Rowe said returning citizens, especially those without strong family ties, will need assistance getting health benefits, a mailing address, social and wraparound services and identification cards.

“Some haven’t been in D.C. for years and they need to adjust to the changes in the city,” she said. “Some have been gone just a few years and need to get back on the right track to being good citizens.”

Rowe said she travels to federal facilities to counsel District inmates on what’s available to them once they get back to the city. She finds the proactive approach prepares the inmate for some of the challenges that lie ahead when they get their freedom.

“There are very few cities that do what we do here in Washington,” she noted.

Eric Weaver, who serves as the chairman of the National Association of Returning Citizens, said the center can help returning citizens better manage issues that residents deal with.

“Let’s look at the Department of Motor Vehicles,” Weaver said. “When a returning citizen goes into the office to get an identification and they look at the long line they may say ‘I’ll come back tomorrow’ and will come back the next day and get discouraged again. The READY Center can help them through that particular process and eliminate the barriers with that and other things and then they are on their way to becoming productive citizens.”

This article originally appeared in the Washington Informer.

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Activism

S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System

Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.

Published

8 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church. Photo courtesy Third Baptist Church.

By Carla Thomas

San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.

“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”

According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.

“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”

Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.

Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.

Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.

Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.

“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.

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Bay Area

Mayor London Breed: State Awards San Francisco Over $37M for Affordable Housing

On April 30, Mayor London N. Breed announced San Francisco has been awarded more than $37.9 million in funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as part of the State’s Multifamily Housing Program (MHP). The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Published

8 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed (File Photo)

By Oakland Post Staff

The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

The new development at 1515 South Van Ness Ave. will provide 168 affordable homes to low-income families, formerly homeless families, and persons living with HIV earning between 25-80% of the San Francisco Area Median Income (AMI).

In addition, the project is anticipated to provide family-friendly amenities and ground floor community-serving commercial spaces that preserve the prevailing neighborhood character of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District.

“This funding unlocks our ability to move on building affordable housing units for families in San Francisco at a crucial time. We understand the level of need for more housing that is accessible, and like the state, the city continues to face a challenging budget cycle,” said Breed. “1515 South Van Ness is a good example of what can be achieved in San Francisco when you have strong community partnerships and an unwavering commitment to deliver on critical needs for our residents.”

“From the beginning of my term as Supervisor, I have fought to bring affordable housing to 1515 South Van Ness” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen. “In the interim, the site has been utilized for homeless services and shelter, and I am thrilled that HCD has recognized the value of this development, and we are finally ready to break ground and bring 168 affordable homes to low income and formerly homeless families in the Mission.”

Owned and occupied by McMillan Electric Company until 2015, the City and County of San Francisco purchased 1515 South Van Ness Avenue in June 2019 with the intent of developing new affordable housing.

In November 2020, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) released a Multi-site Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking qualified developers to build affordable housing on the site, and subsequently selected Chinatown Community Development Corporation (CCDC) and Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) in May 2021 to develop the site.

The project is expected to begin construction in winter 2025.

“A strong, long-term push by Mission advocates to make this site 100% affordable is now paying off, with 168 family units that include services and childcare. People of color communities know what they need, and we are excited to be in partnership with a team, consisting of MEDA, CCDC, and MOHCD, that listens,” said Malcolm Yeung, Executive Director at CCDC.

“We are excited to be in partnership with CCDC, yet again, and for the opportunity to develop intergenerational affordable housing in the City’s Mission District,” said Luis Granados, executive director at MEDA.

Increasing housing affordable to lower-income and vulnerable residents is a key priority in the City’s Housing Element which calls for additional funding for affordable housing production and preservation, as well as Mayor Breed’s Housing for All Executive Directive that sets out the steps the City will take to meet the bold goal of allowing for 82,000 new homes to be built over the next eight years.

Tuesday’s funding announcement emphasizes the importance of regional and state collaboration in order to reach our housing and climate goals.

“We are thrilled—not just to bring a project of this size to a community with great need — but to do so with community-based developers and their partners who understand the neighborhood and sensitivities around cultural preservation,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez.

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Community

Opening Soon: Vibe Bistro Is Richmond’s New Hub for Coffee, Cuisine, Community and Culture

Vibe Bistro, located at 1503 MacDonald Ave., Suite B, Richmond, CA, is announcing its grand opening week, May 21-26, 2024. The café will be a hub where people can come together to enjoy coffee, cuisine, community, and culture, according to the establishment’s owner, Free Brown.

Published

8 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Vibe Bistro Logo

By Y’Anad Burrell

Vibe Bistro, located at 1503 MacDonald Ave., Suite B, Richmond, CA, is announcing its grand opening week, May 21-26, 2024.

The café will be a hub where people can come together to enjoy coffee, cuisine, community, and culture, according to the establishment’s owner, Free Brown.

“Vibe Bistro is Richmond’s neighborhood haven for soulful coffee, delicious food, and vibrant experiences. Vibe Bistro is not just a coffee shop; it’s a place where ‘coffee meets community” says Brown.

It occupies the space formerly known as the Richmond Food Hall, which was also the former location of OakStop Richmond.

During the grand opening week, folks are invited to join in celebrating the spirit of community. From Tuesday, May 21, Vibe Bistro will be open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, serving specialty coffees, convenient grab-n-go options, and delicious breakfast and lunch selections.

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 23, from noon to 2 p.m., followed by surprise festivities that the owners say you will need to experience in-person to fully enjoy.

Vibe Bistro’s art exhibition opens May 23, through Sunday, May 26. It features a special artist talk led by renowned curator Jowhari Trahan, a story on glass, and a mural unveiling by Richmond’s own Nakari Syon.

Additionally, the community is invited to immerse themselves in artistic expression throughout the week with art and craft classes.

Get ready for ‘Feature Fridays’ at Vibe Bistro, where they will showcase the culinary creations of local food businesses. This initiative is not just about food, it’s about fostering a spirit of collaboration and community.

All local businesses are invited to be part of this exciting journey, says Brown.

For more information, visit www.VibeBistro.com, sign up for the newsletter to stay connected, and follow all social media platforms at @TheVibeBistro.