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Happy Presidents' DayMay all Americans enjoy Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness! According to the History.com today's holiday was: "Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, the holiday became popularly known as Presidents' Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents' Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present." Thank you Guest Speaker Tom BensonNotes by Jane Anne Shimizu. Photo by Laura Vanderberg. Edited by Lisa DeLeo Honorary Rotarian Tom Benson is a volunteer with The Yavapai Reentry Project which was established in 2011 by the nonprofit organization MATFORCE. The Yavapai Reentry Project provides supportive services, information referrals and mentor pairing for individuals returning to the community from incarceration. "In an effort to reduce recidivism, improve individual lives, and promote a safer community for all members of Yavapai County, a group of non-profit organizations, government offices, and motivated community members came together to form the Yavapai Reentry Project." The Community Coach Mentorship Program is a tremendously successful program. It offers participants case-plan management and placement with a volunteer coach trained to provide resource referrals, assist with goal completion and provide emotional support. The benefits of providing hope and support to formerly incarcerated individuals are: safer communities, increased hope through positive relationships, increased employment, increased family support and cohesiveness. Decreased family violence, decreased crime and homelessness and decreased recidivism and costs associated with incarceration. Providing these supportive services give individuals the guidance they need to empower themselves to overcome potential barriers and achieve their goals. If interested in learning more about becoming a re-entry coach, or supporting this important program, contact Tom at: bensontom927@gmail.com. Learn more about the program at: https://yavapaireentryproject.org |
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