Our community
Justice Impacted
Formerly incarcerated job seekers face many difficulties upon re-entry. Some of these barriers include the increase bias of a criminal record, which disqualifies them from obtaining stable employment and more visibly equal employment in terms of pay rate and positions. For some of our clients, during incarcerating special skills set may have been lost or not even offered to them to prepare them for entering the workforce.
Our organization works closely with our clients to ensure they attain the necessary skills and training to achieve their career goals.
We provide onsite and virtual workshops that assist with job readiness. A skills training program, where we partner with local small businesses that allow our clients an opportunity to intern onsite within various departments and meet with Founders & Senior Leadership staff to address any facts or myths regarding forming a small business in spite of a criminal conviction.
Internships are provided through 2 Much Sauce Food Truck, Mae Master Logistics, NOBODY clothing brand L.L.C, ADAMS Logistics Trucking Company and more. In addition, we prepare newly released persons with one on one mentorship from Human Resources professionals that aid them in preparing for interviewing, applying for jobs online, resume building and how to navigate through their job searching process.
Through our Grow With Google partnership we also engage our clients to build their digital skills that can be used on the job or to start their own businesses.
Victims and Survivors of Domestic Violence
We provide assistance to women and families in need of emergency assistance which include, temporary sheltering through partner shelters, hotel vouchers, 24/7 emergency hotline services, safe exit support and other services needed during a domestic crisis.
We also provide impact support to those women incarcerated and formerly incarcerated for crimes involving domestic abuse through advocacy, working with law enforcement and mitigation specialist during pre-trial and post-trial stages. Our clients are also linked with counselors and support groups that assist them in achieving the healing and restoration necessary to overcome the traumas of violence.
We also support our community through free self-defense courses from contracted professionals and partnerships such as TishaTalks.org which provides training and workshops developed to empower women to pursue their passions and align it with their purpose.
Formerly Incarcerated Women With HIV/AIDS
Through our Partnership with the Aids Resource Foundation For Children, we are able to assist formerly incarcerated women living with HIV/AIDS and their families re-enter society with focused support, free of stigma and biases through multiple services including: Transitional housing for women living with HIV/AIDS, referrals to their home for HIV+ gay/bisexual youth in New Jersey and more. Women being released from prison after serving lengthy sentences have limited access to HIV/AIDS resources in the community, specifically Newark, NJ.
Many incarcerated persons seldom share their status with other inmates and even staff because of insecurities and biases revolving around the virus. They are released with failed opportunity to know more about their diagnosis, understanding treatment options, coping with the illness and also ways to minimize transmitting the virus. HBBKV, provides onsite discharge planning to our clients affected by HIV/AIDS, and often send material to women in prison (who have comfortably shared their status) that creates a stabilizing force for this population to re-enter the community with ease.
We navigate our clients to peer support groups and ensure they receive during and post incarceration up to date literature on medication adherence, and obtaining medication & medical care regardless of their ability to pay through a comprehensive list of Federally Qualified Community Health Centers.
Formerly Incarcerated Who Are Homeless
Documented research reveals that formerly incarcerated persons are 10x more likely to be homeless than other persons. In addition, many residents of halfway houses and transitional housing programs are often released to enter homes in which they are sharing space with two or more persons. Due to limitations in resources, unavailability of affordable housing, inability to afford market priced rents due to low pay, and other disparities, some clients end up in overcrowded shelters and sadly back in prison with the security of receiving “3 hots and a cot” what you are guaranteed to get in prison.
At HBBKV, we work closely with our newly released clients that are homeless or facing homelessness through our R.I.S.E program. This program is designed to provide resource support to those impacted by systemic barriers through advocacy and community navigation geared to our clients not only to acquire affordable stable housing, but building community ties that will foster continued excellence as they acclimate to society.
We do this with the help of our Social Workers & Peer Navigators who share similar lived experiences, that fosters a relationship of trust during the phases of securing housing. Our Social Workers and Peer Navigators assist clients with obtaining housing vouchers, applying for housing programs, and navigating for other needed services such as healthcare, employment, counseling and strengthening family ties severed through incarceration, which serves as pillars to maintaining permanent housing.
In addition, we provide locations for hot baths, meals, training resources, provide hotel vouchers for homeless families, referrals to day programs & outpatient substance abuse services offered through partner agencies. We know that housing ends homelessness but it also shut’s the revolving doors for our clients from re-entering prisons.