“Share the Hope!” was the powerful message brought by GEO Reentry Services’ alumni members to a group of residents at the annual Alumni Holiday Dinner and Meeting on Dec. 5 at Talbot Hall, in Kearny, N.J. The annual dinner was attended by alumni, guests, staff from nearby GEO Reentry facilities, GEO Care corporate staff from Florida and others who came to celebrate and help motivate current residents while celebrating the success of those who have stayed crime free in the community.
The alumni network consists of former program participants who stay connected to share relevant job information and general support for each other. Those who attended said they did so to share an evening of fellowship with others and have an opportunity to thank staff for their new beginning. The dinner was followed by an alumni meeting, where 10 former program participants spoke to approximately 300 residents of Talbot Hall, a residential reentry center. They shared stories of hope, recovery and living productive lives after being involved in evidence-base reentry programming at Talbot Hall. GEO Reentry is the service provider for Education and Health Centers of America, Inc. (EHCA) in New Jersey centers.
“We are very honored to hold this event which proves that reentry services work,” said Arthur Townes, manager of New Jersey Alumni Services. “It is our pleasure to carry the message to others, and help others transition to a positive lifestyle after program completion. We are here to encourage those still involved in the criminal justice system to grab onto the tools provided by GEO, to take advantage of the reentry services provided here that enables individuals to make a positive start after returning to the community.”
Several corporate GEO Care team members traveled from Florida to join the event, including Ann Schlarb, Ph.D., Senior Vice President & President; David Meehan, Executive Vice President of Business Development; and Angela Geisinger, Senior Director, Education & Programs. Larry DeMarzo, CEO, and Vince Wojciechowicz, Chief Compliance Officer, both of EHCA, as well as Richard McCourt, GEO Reentry’s Senior Area Manager Northeast, and staff from other nearby GEO Reentry programs, including Delaney Hall, Bo Robinson and The Harbor, were also on hand.
It was an uplifting evening, filled with messages of hope for a better life through reentry services, and the promise that anything is possible. The dinner was more than ample, the dessert table brimming with festive delights, and the camaraderie joyful. The meeting followed with a rousing message of hope delivered by alumni. Each testified with personal stories of recovery through reentry services, the promise of a new career, educational goals achieved, families reunited. It was an evening of moving personal achievement, meant to instill in others the message of a rewarding lifestyle free from crime, drugs, and alcohol.
“It’s not about getting home, but staying home,” one alumnus said. Each speaker conveyed a sense of reward and contentment with life after completing programming. Talbot Hall prides itself in providing many “peer-led” classes, which gives residents who are professionals a chance to teach others basic skills as a way to gain trade skills, with options available for certification. Classes have included CDL driving, pesticide training, managing a small business, landscaping, and Serv-Safe kitchen certifications, designed to establish a vocation after program completion.
Alumni services are a function of the treatment programming provided by EHCA and GEO Reentry. Treatment programming provided at New Jersey residential reentry centers includes aftercare, which is comprised of individual voluntary members who have completed EHCA/GEO Reentry programs. Alumni attend meetings at facilities before residents are released, and act as a support system to those who are transitioning back into society. Members who are successful in the community become mentors before and after release to help provide referral assistance for social services, employment and housing.