JaShawn is a woman on a mission, paying her experience forward in a big way. After struggling with substance use and unstable housing for years, Cara, a REDF-supported social enterprise, provided her with the support and coaching she needed to fulfill her potential. Today, with a master’s degree in social work, she is a Youth …
After spending 15 years in and out of prison, Pablo began working at REDF partner Goodwill Silicon Valley determined to turn his life around. Four promotions later, Pablo is the Re-Entry Programs Manager, providing mentorship and hope to men and women who’ve served their time and are ready to start a new chapter. Pablo’s story …
Before she turned 15, Celena had overdosed six times. By 18 Celena had been incarcerated due to drug issues. Experiencing homelessness, and convicted of creating, distributing, and consuming meth, the legal system “wanted to make an example of me,” she says. And not a good one. “I was young and had gotten into some big …
“We do recover.” That’s the simple, profound message Jolena shares with the women she works with as Peer Support Specialist at the Bridges to Change – Grounded Transitions Program in Portland. As a peer support mentor, Jolena provides assistance to 10 women living drug-free while they get their lives back on track. From helping them …
At age 16 Yehiah, the youngest of five, was living in Waltham, Massachusetts. With all of his siblings in college that seemed like Yehiah’s path, too. Then the economy took a downturn, his family fell on hard times, and he says, “My grades dropped and I started hanging out with the wrong people.” It would …
REDF is an investment that works. Yes, we could show you the charts, graphs, and spreadsheets that underscore the return on investment that social enterprises provide. But when it comes to making an impact on people, it’s the stories that show the power of social enterprise to change not just one life, but many. We …
If you drive through Marin and Sonoma Counties you’ve seen them along the side of the road, in their green hats, and blaze orange safety vests brandishing weed trimmers, shovels, and post hole diggers. They are the young adults of Conservation Corps North Bay (CCNB). Their mission is to protect the environment and transform their …
Six years ago, Meghaan was a young woman sleeping on the streets of Portland. “I was 19 and thought I knew everything. I had the mentality that I could do whatever I wanted and no one could stop me. My drinking was at a heightened level, and I was downtown at 1 am just hanging …
In 2016, Anthony Jackson (AJ) received REDF’s Stuart G. Moldaw Award for his tenacity and courage in overcoming significant barriers to employment. Anthony grew up in one of LA’s toughest neighborhoods, in circumstances that typically don’t just derail a young life, but end it. With the support of the Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD)—a …
https://redf.org/latest/jashawns-story/ JaShawn Hill’s fall, from having fun at a Big 10 university to being homeless and cut off from her family, came fast. Her rung-by-rung recovery and revival took longer. But JaShawn’s determination has made her more than a simple story of redemption. She’s a sterling example of the ripple effect that emanates from social …