Reentry Cash Assistance
Reentry Cash Assistance: Reentry cash assistance gives Bella stability in changing world
When Bella grew up in Los Angeles, there were payphones everywhere. Then, returning to the city in 2018 after being incarcerated for twelve years, she said it was like she had “stepped into a different world.”
Read the storyReentry Cash Assistance: “I am not my past”: How Matrice took back control of her life
Matrice, a Denver native, was raised with her brother by a single mother in Kansas City, Missouri. She recalls her mother struggling to raise them alone but says they always made the best of it. Despite being a straight-A, honor-roll student, and a girl scout, Matrice says her mother was very strict. She presumes it was to keep her out of trouble.
Read the storyReentry Cash Assistance: How reentry cash assistance gave Heather housing security during COVID
For Heather, a Colorado native, things were looking good in 2020 for the first time in awhile. She was released from incarceration in December of 2019 and the following February she began job training and transitional work with the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), a reentry employment provider. But she was having trouble securing a permanent position.
Read the storyReentry Cash Assistance: Reentry cash assistance meant much more than money for Billy
Billy has been enjoying spending time with his family, including his two boys, who are both in their twenties now, as well as learning to appreciate new outdoor activities, like camping, hiking, and visits to the beach. Things were much harder when he was released.
Read the storyReentry Cash Assistance: Economic mobility after pandemic job loss, thanks to cash assistance
Losing a job during the pandemic could have been a catastrophe for Shaun. But thanks to the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) program and our Returning Citizens Stimulus (RCS) cash assistance, this setback didn’t stop him from achieving economic mobility.
Read the storyReentry Cash Assistance: Jose’s RCS Story: Without the Returning Citizens Stimulus, “I would have come home to nothing”
“Growing up, I always wanted to be popular and fit in,” Jose says. “That’s basically how it all started.”
Read the storyReentry Cash Assistance: Carmen’s RCS Story: How cash assistance provided much-needed reentry support, while reuniting a family
Carmen was 40 years old when she found herself caught in the grips of addiction. Carmen’s life began spiraling out of control, resulting in recurring trips to jail and drug clinics, followed by long stretches of probation. She felt her life was starting over again from scratch every time she returned from incarceration or rehab, with no resources or support system. Carmen’s children grew weary of the seemingly never-ending routine, and cut off contact with their mother.
Read the storyReentry Cash Assistance: Aaron’s Story: From prison to business owner
Growing up surrounded by street gangs in Northern California’s East Bay, Aaron says that he always expected to end up in prison one day, and unfortunately, his fears eventually became a reality. However, after his incarceration, Aaron says that his mindset about life had changed.
Read the storyReentry Cash Assistance: Scott's Story: How Cash Assistance During the Pandemic Led to a Full-Time Salaried Job With Benefits
Scott first heard about the Returning Citizen Stimulus (RCS) program while staying at a transition house near the San Bernardino Mountains in California. Since all of his family lived across the country, he didn’t have much support when returning from incarceration. A mortgage underwriter originally from Florida, Scott had been prepared for difficulties upon reentry, but the COVID-19 pandemic had made the adjustment considerably more challenging.
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