For several years, we have been involved with STRIVE, an organization that helps people coming out of the justice system to find careers. They are our partner in our Bowery location, and our foundation, Gotham Gives, supports their Fresh Start program.
Strive has been changing lives for the past 40 years. But not enough people know about them and the good work they do. That is starting to change.
The other week, STRIVE was invited to host a panel discussion at SXSW EDU in Austin called “Alternative Trade School for People Facing Systemic Barriers.”
The panelists included funders and corporate partners, as well as Roy Castro, a Board Member and STRIVE graduate whom I’ve written about before.
They talked about how STRIVE’s wraparound services offer an alternative to trade schools. Their combination of professional training and holistic support offers adults, including the justice-impacted, a transformative pathway to economic prosperity. STRIVE also makes a lifetime commitment to graduates throughout their career journey.
They have forged strong partnerships with companies, like Mt. Sinai Medical Services, that hire graduates but also work with STRIVE to create curricula that make sense for the jobs they will be doing at the hospital. The graduates get jobs, and the companies fill needed roles. It’s win-win.
I love so much about what STRIVE does and, most importantly, its impact. These jobs are essential; they need physical humans to work in them, not robots.
If you want to donate, you can join us and Neil Degrasse Tyson, who donated his earnings from playing Celebrity Jeopardy.
