Our Winter 2024-25 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
As we close out 2024 we want to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year filled with joy.
For Partakers, 2024 has been filled with exciting growth as we celebrate the stories of lives transformed.
Despite these often overwhelming times we look forward with hope and promise for each and every one of our students.
We are working to expand our reach inside prisons and grow the work of over 27 years of providing mentors to students pursuing their education inside through our College Behind Bars Program. We are building on the success and legacy of this program which has seen just a 2% recidivism rate compared to a 6-year national average of 79%.
Our Reentry Program, Partakers Empowerment Program (PEP), will be celebrating 5 years this spring, providing skills, training, and of course essential mentor support to folks returning home-helping them to navigate the difficult and often fraught path of reentry. To date over 90 percent of our PEP graduates have secured employment and stable housing. They are a part of a vital community that will always be there for them as they move forward in positive and exciting ways.
As we say all the time--- our Mentors are the heart of ALL we do. We are currently building our Mentor base for both our College Behind Bars and PEP Reentry Program. See below to learn how you can become involved. We hope you will join us for one of our Mentor Info Sessions to learn more about the Power of Partakers Mentoring.
At Partakers, our work is all about promoting education and mentoring. Everyday we support incarcerated students and folks returning home, providing opportunities to change the trajectory of their lives and the lives of their families and communities. We simply could not do this vital work without your friendship and support.
Please take a a moment to read our 2024 Annual Appeal Letter.
Thank you for always being here for us!
With appreciation and heartfelt wishes for the New Year,
Arthur Bembury, Executive Director