NYC RE-ENTRY ORGANIZATION “GETTING OUT AND STAYING OUT” HONORS NYC TAQUERIA CHAIN DOS TOROS FOR PROVIDING FORMERLY INCARCERATED YOUNG MEN OPPORTUNITIES TO EARN AND ADVANCE
NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Dos Toros Founders and CEOs Leo and Oliver Kremer and employees speak about providing workforce opportunities for 16-24-year-olds leaving Rikers Island and other facilities
New York, NY—Prominent New York anti-recidivism Organization Getting Out and Staying Out honored Dos Toros as their 2016 “Employer of the Year” for partnering with GOSO to assist young men who have spent time at Rikers Island and other correctional facilities to rebuild their lives and reshape their futures.
NYC City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Dos Toros CEOs and co-founders Leo and Oliver Kremer; Jim MacNamara, Partner; Goldman Sachs; GOSO President and Founder Mark Goldsmith; GOSOWorks Director, Geoffrey Golia; Reginald Andre, Goldman Sachs VP and Member of the Steering Committee for the Investment Management Division’s Black Employee Network and GOSOWorks Participants gathered to speak about the importance of leveling the playing field for court-involved young people, and to recognize the work Dos Toros has done to accomplish this mission. Dos Toros is one of more than 40 businesses partnering with GOSOWorks, an innovative program that provides paid internship and job opportunities, working in tandem with GOSO’s robust educational, vocational and supportive programming. The event was hosted at Goldman Sachs, sponsored by the Investment Management Division’s Black Employee Network.
Getting Out / Staying Out (GOSO) honors Dos Toros Taqueria as Employer of the Year at a ceremony hosted by Goldman Sachs’ IMD Black Employee Network, New York City December 6th, 2016.
“We are so thankful for our partnership with Dos Toros and are pleased to name them our 2016 ‘Employer of the Year’,” said President and CEO of GOSO Mark L. Goldsmith. “Dos Toros provides the opportunity to for these young men to rise from being a crew member to management positions and empowers them to strive for excellence every day. GOSO looks forward to continuing to work with Dos Toros and our more than 40 terrific employment partners to achieve our mission of providing young men the tools and opportunities they need to stay out of the criminal justice system while promoting personal, professional and intellectual growth through goal-oriented programming.”
“We couldn’t be happier to collaborate with Getting Out and Staying Out to give court-involved young people the opportunities to turn their lives around,” said Aleta Maxwell, Chief Human Resources Officer for Dos Toros. “The people we hire are the key to our business, and through GOSO we have found spectacular, committed employees who have the job readiness skills and commitment to excel and move up at Dos Toros. Hopefully, the success we have had in our collaboration with GOSO can inspire more businesses to give court-involved young people the chance to succeed and thrive. Thank you to GOSO for this very special honor.”
“After coming home for the last time, I made a commitment to never go back again and enrolled in GOSO,” said GOSOWorks participant Michael Vanleuvan. “Through hard work and the assistance of GOSO, I completed a paid internship and earned a job at Dos Toros. I have been at Dos Toros now for 14 months and I am very proud that Dos Toros rewarded my hard work and determination, and promoted me to manager!
The event was hosted by Goldman Sachs, which has also been honored as GOSO’s 2016 corporate partner of the year for the significant impact that GS employees have had on GOSO’s young men. Goldman Sachs employees volunteer regularly to lead employment curriculum workshops that are part of GOSO’s robust job-training, educational and vocational programming that contributes to their clients’ exceptionally low recidivism rate.
Getting Out / Staying Out (GOSO) honors Dos Toros Taqueria as Employer of the Year at a ceremony hosted by Goldman Sachs’ IMD Black Employee Network, New York City December 6th, 2016. Left is GOSO founder Mark Goldsmith and GOSO Board President Reginald Andre and Dos Tores founders and employees with Geoffrey Golla of GOSO in the middle.
“Goldman Sachs is proud to have had over 50 employees volunteer with Getting Out and Staying Out, a nonprofit seeking to reduce the recidivism rate of previously incarcerated young men in New York,” said Reginald Andre, Goldman Sachs Vice President, Member of the Steering Committee for the Black Employment Network and Chairman of GOSO’s Board of Directors. “Our volunteers help these young men develop and refine interview, financial literacy, and overall job readiness skills. These are skills they must have to thrive in the workforce, and Goldman Sachs employees, in conjunction with GOSO, are eager to help level the playing field for these young men.”
About Getting Out and Staying Out: Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO) is a leading East Harlem-based anti-recidivism organization which empowers young men throughout New York City to avoid involvement in the criminal justice system by reshaping their futures through educational achievement, meaningful employment, and financial independence. GOSO focuses on the individuals’ capacities and strengths, as well as developmental needs and emotional well-being. Our aim is to promote personal, professional, and intellectual growth through goal-oriented programming and comprehensive social support services. GOSO has established itself as one of the most effective reentry programs in the New York City area for justice-involved 16 to 24-year-old men. 10% of GOSO participants return to jail, as compared to a national average of 67% for the age group.
About Dos Toros: Dos Toros, the Bay-Area style taqueria, was founded by brothers Leo and Oliver Kremer as they pledged to bring a classic West Coast staple to the burrito-starved East Coast. In 2009, Dos Toros started as a single location on New York City’s Union Square. Their growth to 12 stores in Manhattan and Brooklyn has attracted a bevy of NYC Foodies and West Coast transplants alike. Reviewed thoroughly in publications including The New York Times, Eater Magazine, & Forbes among others, Dos Toros pledges to “Delight Every Guest in a Way That Inspires Loyalty” and has been consistently been ranked nationally for their burritos, tacos and quesadillas. They cook all their recipes in house every day, using only naturally raised meats and promoting sustainability as a core value. Dos Toros Taqueria plans on expanding throughout the East Coast in the coming years.
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