Vote to assist women leaving incarceration

Topeka KS

Description

Vote today and daily through May 6 for a grant directly supporting women in Topeka and Shawnee County. https://www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/2042758 In our community, more than 50 women are released from jail every month. There is no reintegration process or plan for these women. This lack of reintegration services makes them susceptible to harm. They leave incarceration with only the clothes they wore coming to jail, no food, money, phone, transportation, or housing. We have secured funding for the staff to meet with women released from jail, Rotarians are volunteering to provide mentorship and support, and we have forged collaborations for post-incarceration referrals to trauma-informed therapy and substance treatment, but we need funding for meeting the most basic immediate needs. The $25,000 will fund bus fare, essential clothing, food vouchers, and prepaid phones. These necessities are critical to a woman leaving jail. Many women no longer have identification documents, which are essential to obtaining employment, housing, education and even health care. New IDs cost a minimum of $50. This grant will cover the cost of identification documents to help women gain identity again! Providing these necessities is crucial to empowering women to choose the path of freedom and reintegration. State Farm grant funding will reduce recidivism that is too often due to limited options for meeting basic daily needs as women face reentry into their community.