LARRP was fortunate to be included in a new program to get recently released people privately funded stimulus stipends. This excellent new program out of the Center for Employment Opportunities, seeks to support individuals who have been released from incarceration in the past 12 months and are unemployed or underemployed. Program participants must enroll with a reentry employment provider and meet certain criteria and milestones over a 60 day period while receiving up to $2,750 to spend as they need.

Center for Employment Opportunities has raised millions of dollars to get these much needed stipends to thousands of people in reentry all over the country. Here is a slightly shortened story submitted by RCS program participant David Smith:

“I would like to start this letter off by telling you a little about me. I was in prison for just about 42 years, from 19 years old till 60 years old, for a mistake I made when I was a kid. We all make mistakes, its just some of us pay a little more for our mistakes. I am one that paid 42 years for mine. Now that I am in the free world, I am going to do all that I can to not go back to prison. I go to NIA, AA, and self help classes to better myself as a person. This is key to staying out. I GOT OUT OF PRISON!!!"

"From Day 1, the staff at Center for Living and Learning helped me, first to get my California ID, social security card and other items. And with the first deposit of the RCS stimulus money, they helped me open an account at Wells Fargo to put it in. I am happy to have them in my life and grateful to this new program. Thank you for helping me fit back into the free world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”