Newsletter – March, 2017
A Mother Sees her Daughters?for the First Time in 6 Years
Latasha was?transferred to CCT Center for Women earlier this year after six years in prison. A wife and mother of two, she struggled with her roles as both behind bars. Her husband, Todd, a wonderful father, did not want their two girls, Baylee?and Tannon, to be exposed to the prison atmosphere, and decided that they would not visit their mother?
in prison. It was a tough decision, one that no family should have to make.
The environment at the Center for Women is very different from a regular corrections facility, resembling a dormitory more than a prison. There are no bars or barbed wire. Residents may decorate their rooms, which they share with one roommate, as they wish. On any given day you’ll see the hustle and bustle of the women coming and going from work, school, or adventures out in the community with our amazingly dedicated volunteer sponsors. So when Latasha came here, she told Todd it was a much more suitable environment for their two girls.
After visiting our facility himself, he decided that yes, the homey atmosphere was healthy enough for his children. So, after six long years, the family reunited. After hugs and joyful tears, the foursome played several games of basketball outside the dorm, soaking in the sunshine and relishing simply being together.
By allowing our residents to rebuild relationships and restore family bonds while they are finishing their sentences, we know that they are more likely to make a successful transition back into their homes and communities when they are released.
CCT News
LifeWorks! in Gastonia
CCT LifeWorks! has been working with Goodwill Southern Piedmont and Gaston County to bring some of their programming to reentry clients in Gastonia. In February, they conducted a day long workshop with federal inmates at the Gaston County Jail. The program was well-received, and talks are ongoing to bring more services to the area.
New Offering: Business Bootcamp
In partnership with Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont and Carolinas Institute for Entrepreneurship, CCT launched a new four-week course called Business Bootcamp. It is a four-week course on business basics for people thinking about starting their own business. To our delight, several of the students are interested in starting their own nonprofit organizations! We are in talks about offering the course again in the future.
Welcome 2 New Employees
CCT LifeWorks! welcomes two new workforce development specialists to our team! Walter Gilispie, Jr. retired from military service in 2015 after 30 years and has his B.S. in Criminal Justice. Jerome Gaymon has his B.A. in Criminal Justice and also served in the military! Both of them volunteered with CCT for a time before coming on as employees and we are so happy to have them both on board.?
At CCT we rely on generous donors like you to provide the resources we need. Thank you to everyone who donated in the months of January and February.
Cyd S. Anderson
Anonymous
Arlington Baptist Church
Audra Atkinson
Bank of America Matching Gift Program
Deborah Bell
Amanda Capobianchi
Myra Clark
Covenant Presbyterian Church
Peggie Crowder
David L. Drum
Jonathan Eide
Miki Eide
Episcopal Church Women of Christ Church
Cyrus Johnson Jr.
Atalaya Henrietta Johnson
Dorian A. Johnson
Kenneth Jordan
Wendy Kauffman
Cora Knox
Eva F. Lee
Thomas Patrick Long
Patricia Martelly
Chris McGee
Mecklenburg County ABC Board
Deborah B. Mingo
David Nance
Tony Orsbon
James Plyler
Kimberly Parker Reese
St. John’s Baptist Church
St. Luke Catholic Church
The Bob Barker Company Foundation
Crystal Turner
United Way of the Central Carolinas
John P. Williams
Sandra Willoughby
Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
Events
Career Expo
March 22, 10am-12pm
The Goodwill Opportunity Campus is hosting a career expo for people with criminal records. Individuals who want to attend are required to complete a 1 hr. long prep class beforehand. The next prep class is March 20th at 2pm. Contact LifeWorks! for more information at?(704) 374-0762.