The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation (“Cabrini Foundation”) awarded PEACE, Inc. $75,000 for the Family Reentry Program.
Syracuse, New York, October 2022 – PEACE, Inc. and its Family Services Department recently received a $75,000 grant to continue its Family Reentry Program. The grant is awarded as part of the Foundation’s 2022 Statewide Grants Program to support programs that “meet the unmet healthcare and healthcare related needs of individuals, families, and communities throughout New York State.”
Housed within the agency’s Family Services Department, the Family Reentry Program provides 1:1 case management services to previously incarcerated individuals and their families by helping them meet housing, education, health, work, finance/budgeting, substance abuse, and identification (such as obtaining a Driver’s License) goals. The program works heavily with the agency’s Fatherhood Initiative to connect participants to parenting and relationship services which assist families in reunification.
In 2019, 788 people in Onondaga County were incarcerated per 100,000 residents ages 15-64, significantly higher than the New York State rate. After release, previously incarcerated individuals face many challenges reentering their communities, reuniting with their families, and stabilizing their personal and professional lives. Families and children are also impacted by these barriers, as studies show that children of incarcerated parents are 6x more likely to be incarcerated themselves; have higher rates of certain mental health issues; and have lower incomes. Additionally, incarceration strains family relationships, dynamics, and stability.
Carolyn D. Brown, Executive Director of PEACE, Inc., says, “I want to thank the Cabrini Foundation for their generous support of the agency’s Reentry Program. Recently incarcerated individuals and their families face unique barriers to self-sufficiency and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve this vulnerable population.” Through a holistic, family centered approach that involves goal setting and case management, the Family Reentry Program will assist 40 previously incarcerated individuals in 2022-2023 – empowering individuals to smoothly reenter their communities while gaining personal, professional and family stability.
For more about PEACE, Inc.’s Family Services Department, visit https://www.peace-caa.org/programs/frc/
About PEACE, Inc.’s Department of Family Services
Incorporated in 1968, PEACE, Inc. is a federal designated Community Action Agency (CAA) that serves nearly 12,000 clients in Syracuse, Onondaga County and portions of Oswego County. The Family Servces Department houses six Family Resource Centers (FRCs) throughout Onondaga County, three of which are in the City of Syracuse. FRC programs include emergency assistance, crisis intervention, advocacy, supportive services, employment support, youth activities, education and family development partnerships. Family Services is one of 9 primary programs offered by PEACE, Inc., including Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS), Family Services (FRCs), Head Start and Early Head Start (HS, EHS), Foster Grandparent Program, Free Tax Preparation (EITC), Eastwood Community Center, Senior Nutrition, and Senior Support Services. For more information, visit www.peace-caa.org
Media Contact
Mary Beth Welch, Director
PEACE, Inc. Family Services
Email: Marybeth.welch@peace-caa.org
Phone: 315-634-3716