I met the Founder of this wonderful organization while in prison. Ms. Awilda Velez came to the Bayview Correctional Facility to provide a workshops on how to prepare for re-entry. The topic was credit reports.
She was compassionate, thorough and she offered the services the organization provided to anyone who needed upon their release. I told her that after serving 13 years, I was preparing for my release and would visit her.
When that day came, I contacted CRER shortly afterwards, she invited me to her office and had a bag of clothes for me and she started an intake and told me I could participated in an entrepreneurial class she was conducting at that time. She worked with me and stayed in touch, provided me with resources and continued to monitor my progress. I was very impressed, grateful and amazed that everything she said she could provide, she did and the best thing was, all the services were free.
I am now fully employed working with formerly incarcerated women and their families. I am forever grateful for the support I received from Cultural Renaissance for Economic Revitalization. Although they are small, they have only volunteers but they are very committed and without a doubt, needed in the community.
Thank you
Shaneeka Jones
Review from Guidestar