Project Return: The Year So Far. and who are returning to the Nashville community from. incarceration.

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1 Project Return Press The mission of Project Return is to provide services and connect people with resources needed to return successfully to work and community after incarceration. Contents 2 Meet Board Members Saul Eady and Gary Tullock 2 Faith Community and Foundation Support 2 New Programming 3 Open House 3 Staff Spotlight 3 Participant Spotlight 4 In the Community 4 Get Involved Project Return: The Year So Far Tennessee was first among all states in the total growth of its inmate population between 2010 and 2011, and Davidson County alone is home to four state penitentiaries, the sheriff's detention centers, a federal halfway house, and one private prison. Thousands of people are emerging from Tennessee prisons each year with little more than the shirts on their backs and their criminal records; they need jobs, housing, transportation, and other basics, and lack the "soft skills" to get employment. That's where Project Return comes in. Project Return is a 35-year-old nonprofit organization working in the realm of exoffender reentry, assisting persons who have been convicted of felonies or serious misdemeanors and who are returning to the Nashville community from incarceration. Getting and keeping a job is key to successful reentry, and the best predictor of a crime-free future. In this regard, Project Return has a proven track record of success and impact. In 2013, Project Return provided services to more than 2,000 individuals, inside and out of prison. Nearly 400 ex-offenders engaged in our employment program, and of those, more than 80% - well over 300 people - successfully gained employment before the year was out. In 2014, Project Return has found a new home at 806 4th Avenue South, expanded its Spring 2014 staff to a total of 18 members, and is working extensively to improve the delivery of its services with a focus on a brand new and improved Job Readiness curriculum. This year so far, more than 100 participants have found employment. We look forward to this number increasing throughout the remainder of the year. From the Executive Director Sometimes the discouragement is palpable. When Jason got released after five years in prison, he tried to make a successful return on his own. He had looked for work for nearly four months with no success, and the rejection and failure was weighing heavy on him by the time he came to Project Return. We help turn this around! Our primary focus is helping people with employment, and we peddle encouragement all day long. Jason engaged in our job readiness classes and case management sessions. We listened to Jason, and are helping him focus on his positive attributes, his past accomplishments, and his good prospects for employment. Our clients are worthy individuals who have done their time, paid their debt, and want o work on the path of a successful return. At Project Return, it's our great opportunity to play a significant role in that success. Please join us in our efforts. Bettie Kirkland

2 Page 2 Project Return Press Meet Our Board Members Gary Tullock and Saul Eady Saul Eady and Gary Tullock have each served on the board of Project Return for ten years. Gary Tullock (pictured left) is the retired Assistant Commissioner of the State of Tennessee Department of Correction and has worked in the criminal justice field since Saul Eady (pictured right) is a regional hospice chaplain for AseraCare Hospice, and the pastor of TRUE House of Praise. Saul says that "the cause of reintegration of those that have served their time and paid their dues in the penal system and are serious about becoming productive contributing citizens" motivates him to support this work of reentry services. We appreciate their dedication to the mission and work of Project Return! News & Updates Thanks to the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville! Thank you to the congregation at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville for their overwhelming support of Project Return. We were their "Share the Plate" recipient for the month of March. Over $2,000 was raised! It was a wonderful opportunity to spread awareness of the work of Project Return in the community. We were particularly grateful for the opportunity for Project Return Alumni Jennifer Stopper -Haney (pictured between the Rev. Gail Seavey and Social Justice Committee Co-Chair Greg Miller) to speak from the pulpit about her successful return from prison. Many thanks again to First UU for their efforts and support! Thanks to The Frist Foundation! Many thanks to The Frist Foundation for funding the purchase and operation of a 12-passenger van for use in our PRO Employment program. The van has traveled over 10,000 miles so far, while transporting participants to and from worksites and job interviews. We look forward to many more valuable miles in the van! Coming Soon Family Ties Project Return has been selected by the U.S. Department of Justice to receive a new Second Chance Act award. This funding will enable Project Return to re-start its Family Ties Program, which provides special reentry support to ex-offenders who are noncustodial parents with child support obligations. We will supplement these services with mentoring support.

3 Spring 2014 Newsletter Page 3 Project Return Open House Huge thanks to all who attended Project Return's Open House in March! It was a great turnout, and we were grateful for the opportunity to meet with employers, community partners, and members of the public to talk about the work that we do in our new location. Staff Member Spotlight Marriah Vinson We are excited to welcome one of our newest staff members, Marriah Vinson. Marriah will be a Life Skills Instructor with the Pro-Social Life Skills and Employment Readiness program that Project Return conducts at the Tennessee Prison for Women. Marriah is graduating from the Masters program at Vanderbilt Divinity School, where she has focused on issues pertaining to human welfare in regard to incarceration and prison reform. Participant Spotlight Charles Strupper Charles arrived at Project Return at the end of 2013, within a week of his release from prison. After he had finished our job readiness classes, Charles was successfully placed with PRO Employment - Project Return's transitional employment program - with a local manufacturer. During this time, Charles demonstrated a great work ethic and positive attitude, all while gaining a recent work history, reference base and continuing his search for full-time, long-term employment as an auto mechanic. After six weeks of work with PRO Employment, Project Return was glad to refer Charles to a local autoshop in need of a mechanic. We were able to speak of our firsthand experience of working with Charles and recommend him for the job. We were thrilled when he stopped by to let us know that he would be starting there the next week! Staff Member Spotlight: Maya Lochan Not only has he excelled at his position with the autoshop, but he has impressed them so much that they have asked for further referrals from Project Return, saying, "Everybody you have sent us has been top-notch. We have had nothing but quality from you." Charles has been working hard at the autoshop since February, and when we visited him in April, he was proud to show us his brand new tools and tool chest that he has been saving his paychecks to buy. Of his experience with Project Return, he said, "I was so impressed with the way you folks bend over backwards to help people out. The staff did more than anybody would ever ask for." We wish to thank Charles for setting such a great example at Project Return of what a successful return from prison can look like, and congratulate him on all of his success.

4 Page 4 In the Community 806 4th Avenue South Nashville, TN p f pri@projectreturninc.org Facebook ProjectReturnTN Website projectreturninc.org A NEW BEGINNING AFTER INCARCERATION Project Return is participating in The Big Payback! The Big Payback is a community-wide, online giving day hosted by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee on May 6, This charitable giving day will help Project Return raise much-needed dollars while celebrating the good work of all Middle Tennessee nonprofits. For 24 hours, beginning at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, May 6, to 6 a.m. on Wednesday, May 7, donors can make a gift to Project Return through The Big Payback. We hope that you can support Project Return on this special day! Our special gratitude goes out to those of you who have supported Project Return in its previous online giving efforts. For more information, please visit GET INVOLVED DONATE VOLUNTEER RAISE AWARENESS Return the included envelope with your donation. OR Go to our website at and submit a donation online. Thank you for your support! Contact us at or at pri@projectretuninc.org. We have several opportunities: conducting mock interviews, assisting in our computer lab, assisting in the classroom, and more. Like Us on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter. Request a Project Return representative to speak with your group or organization. Contact Us at or pri@projectreturninc.org. Sign-up to receive our newsletter online! Tinyurl.com/ProjectReturnNewsletter

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