DANA: Conversations with the Community featuring Project New Start, Inc.

DANA (Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement) interviews Pricilla Turgon, Founder and Executive Director for Project New Start, Inc.

No one chooses failure. Project New Start provides a comprehensive cognitive behavioral change/workforce development initiative for individuals transitioning out of state and federal institutions. They are succeeding, too.

Quincey Thomas Awarded the HOPES HEART Award

Quincey Thomas was awarded the HOPES HEART award by the National Restaurant Education Foundation (NRAEF) at their annual conference in Washington DC August 8. This individual represents what HOPES is all about... going above and beyond to support their participants. 

PNS' partnership with the NRAEF focuses on assisting justice-involved individuals in their transition from incarceration back to the community, employment and their families.

Spring 2023 Graduation

14 members of the Spring 2023 cohort of our New Start Reentry Program celebrated their graduation Thursday, June 8th. Approximately 70 government leaders, members of the judiciary, community partners, funders, employers and former New Start graduates joined the celebration to support the graduates' success. Among the guests who offered special acknowledgements were Attorney General Kathleen Jennings, County Executive Matt Meyer and the Honorable Charles E. Butler.

New Start is a 10 week, 325.0 hour experience. Graduates attended classes Monday through Friday from 8:30am - 3:00pm. and obtained a variety of employment credentials and certifications in addition to receiving financial literacy education, technology training, and guidance in developing strategies for positive behavioral change. Each participant receives job placement assistance and as of June 8th, 9 graduates have secured employment. 

Each graduate is focused on being humble, patient and accountable as they move forward in their transition back to their families, employment and communities. Congratulations!

Senator Marie Pinkney invited Project New Start to participate on a panel during the 2nd Annual "State of the State of Corrections" Summit

On Wednesday, March 1st, Senator Marie Pinkney invited Project New Start to participate on a panel regarding housing barriers faced by justice-involved individuals at the 2nd Annual "State of the State of Corrections" Summit at the Route 9 Library & Innovation Center.

There were four panel discussions: Inequities in Health Care, Barriers to Housing, Re-entry Workforce: Challenges & Opportunities, and "Shut Up And Listen."

Four of our graduates spoke on panels, including Charles Tuller '22, Charles Cobb '22, Orlando Foreman '18, and Tanika Lewis '19, sharing their insights regarding the challenges of navigating reeentry and how Project New Start has helped them through this process by providing workforce development training, job placement, housing and transportation assistance, and individualized intensive support.

Tanika Lewis '19 participated on the Healthcare Panel and discussed the challenges of receiving proper physical and mental health care both while incarcerated and once she transitioned back to the community.

Additionally, our Founder and Executive Director, Priscilla Turgon, discussed the critical need for housing assistance once individuals transition from incarceration to their families, employment, and communities. Approximately 85% of the individuals served by PNS are housing insecure and require intensive support to enable a successful transition to self-sufficiency and resistance from future criminal behavior. 

Following the summit, Senator Pinkney hosted a brief press conference to announce the filing of Senate Bill 4, which will transform Delaware's system of probation. Join us in advocating for this critical legislation so we can send it to Governor John Carney's desk this year.

Read more about the Summit

Delaware News Journal: These Delawareans spent years in prison. Now they're trying to make it on the outside.

For the last 23 years, Orlando Foreman passed his days in a federal prison.

It's here that he learned how to be a paraplegic, forced to rely on a wheelchair after he was paralyzed by Wilmington police during a robbery turned shoot-out in 1995.

It's here that Foreman was forced to face the consequences of his actions – decisions that filled his life with more than 36 years spent behind bars.

At the age of 55, Foreman is finally ready to turn his life around.

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WHYY Feature: Reentry simulation shines light on recidivism in Delaware

Executive Director Priscilla Turgon spoke at the Reentry Simulation co-sponsored by the Delaware State University Dept. of Sociology and Criminal Justice and State Representative James Johnson on November 2, 2017. Representatives, Senators and staff from the Delaware Legislature and other interested groups participated in activities that simulated a month in the life of someone recently released from prison. The simulation, facilitated by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Delaware, provided participants a better understanding of the challenges faced by individuals re-entering the community.  New Start graduates Brady Couch and Sebastian Corbin shared their re-entry challenges and successes following participation in the New Start program.

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Delaware Online Feature: Wilmington students: 'Black Panther' hero 'looks like me'

The following is an excerpt from a Delaware Online article featuring Project New Start:

'Black Panther' hero 'looks like me'

(Photo: Jerry Habraken, The News Journal)

(Photo: Jerry Habraken, The News Journal)

"This is just a way to get close to the community, to get the community closer to me and just bridge the gap," said Boddy-Calhoun, who rented the theater out for Monday's viewing. Another 120 people will see the blockbuster on Tuesday. 

Boddy-Calhoun, a Delcastle Technical High School graduate, said the movie gives a sense of voice to those who don't always feel they have it. 

Boddy-Calhoun and Project New Start expect to do more than show the movie to the children, several of whom saw the film because they participate in programs at different Wilmington community centers including Kingswood, William "Hicks" Anderson and Reeds' Refuge Center.

"Through a long-term mentoring partnership with various youth organization, we have an interactive presentation prepared for the young people that attend," said Brian Alleyne, a board member of Project New Start, a job-readiness program for offenders transitioning out of prison.

"The presentation will reinforce various scenes from the movie and introduce new concepts," Alleyne said. "The purpose is to have young people engage more thoughtfully with the film and how it relates to their culture."

Alleyne, a friend and mentor to Boddy-Calhoun, said the follow-up sessions will take place in the coming weeks with hopes of pulling examples from the movie that will inspire them to want to do more. He pointed to the 1976 "Rocky" film that inspired many people he knows to push to be better. 

"Whatever we can use to pull this out of the young people ... that's what we're looking to do," he said.

Priscilla Turgon, Project New Start's executive director, said the most important message she wants youth attending the Monday and Tuesday shows is that someone cares about them. 

"Just to see that people care enough about them to give them an opportunity to come out and have fun," she said. "Everybody has value,    and when people understand that, I think they raise to be their better self." 

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