I took longer than expected to write the next blog post as I have been interviewing non-stop these last few weeks. It felt like I had an interview each day for four straight weeks. For each of these interviews I would prefer about 8 hours, so I was completely exhausted. After making to the final interview of what seemed like tons of jobs, I was consistently told no because of my felony conviction. I wanted to see what resources there were for formerly incarcerated individuals like myself and got in touch with The Fortune Society here in NYC.
The Fortune Society’s mission is to support successful reentry from incarceration and promote alternatives to incarceration, thus strengthening the fabric of our communities. For 50 Years, The Fortune Society’s vision has been to foster a world where all who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated will thrive as positive, contributing members of society. They have done this through a holistic, one-stop model of service provision. Fortune serves over 6,000 individuals annually via three New York City locations and their program models are recognized both nationally and internationally for their quality and innovation.
After talking with some of their employees, they encouraged me to apply to work here and see how I could make a difference to assist those who may not have had the resources I had when leaving prison. I am excited to say after meeting some senior team members, as well as the CEO, I have joined Fortune as Senior Director of Evaluation and Quality Improvement. I am excited to assist these essential programs in ensuring their long-lasting success, as well as identifiying opportunities for further improvement in the outcomes of our clients lives.