For many, a new year is an opportunity to reset, refresh and set new personal goals. GOSO participant Simeon R. is doing just that, with a focus on education. His goal in 2019 will be to conquer his first semester at LaGuardia Community College, in Queens. Simeon plans to study business in the hopes of becoming an entrepreneur after graduating.
Join us in welcoming Tim Bustle and Jannee Davis to the GOSO team! As Career Managers Tim will focus on our adolescent programming, which allows participants who are still in high school to attend GOSO after school; and Jannee will lead our vocational programs (i.e. OSHA, security training), which provide skills-trainings to connect our participants to better-paying jobs.
“I’ll tell you how I ended up on Rikers Island. Fifteen years ago, I volunteered for PENCIL’s “Principal for a Day” program. I asked to be assigned to the toughest school. A short ride later, I was on Rikers Island in a classroom with a group of young men who inspired me to be a catalyst for change.”
GOSO staff’s work is framed by our Three E’s; each plays an equally critical role in the success of our participants. Education, Employment and Emotional-Well-being: we believe that all three work together to form a foundation on which GOSO Guys can build their futures.
Summary: Getting Out and Staying Out is an innovative reentry program serving young men (16-24) during and after their incarceration in New York prisons and jails. We believe that our focus on career and education is the key to helping young men overcome obstacles in reentry and become productive members of society.
Modest contributions to GOSO have a measurable impact. Whether it’s $10 to help us send educational materials and inspiring books to our clients in upstate facilities, or $30 to provide one-week of transportation to interviews and internships. Small gifts make big change.
Mid-terms can be a stressful time for college students. But with preparation and hard work, GOSO Guys are rising to the challenge! Louis, one of our clients, was proud (and rightly so) to share his “Reading the Biography” mid-term A+ with GOSO staff.
Growing up in the Bronx, GOSO client Keybo C. was faced with more than his share of negative influences and experiences. This personal history has inspired Keybo to position himself as a positive force of change for others in his community. He’s brought this optimism and spirit with him to GOSO, where he’s made an incredible impact as a leader among his peers.
VIDEO: October 2 is International Nonviolence Day and we’d like to acknowledge the great, life-saving work done every day by SAVE Cure Violence (Stand Against Violence East Harlem).
We’re going to the movies, and you’re invited to come with us. On October 12, 2018, GOSO will be attending a screening of an important new documentary, from HBO Documentary Films: The Sentence, by Rudy Valdez. Donate today and our thank you gift is a ticket to the screening!