Ms. Sam is the founder and executive director of The Ladies of Hope Ministries – The LOHM – whose mission is to help disenfranchised and marginalized women and girls transition back into society through spiritual empowerment, education, entrepreneurship, and advocacy. She is also the founder of Rockland Recovery NYC – a safe housing space for women and girls recently released from prison. She is a Beyond the Bars 2015 Fellow and a 2016 Justice-In-Education Scholar at Columbia University, a 2017 Soros Justice Advocacy Fellow working on Probation and Parole Accountability and a member of The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. Ms. Davis has served in leadership positions in some of New York City’s premier nonprofit organizations in fundraising development, nonprofit communications, and marketing. As an expert in the New York City nonprofit community, Donna is known for her strong collaborative relationships that help fundraise and “brand raise” for programs and services that positively impact New York City.
Partially based on her own experiences, her academic work has focused on racial justice and examining the ways in which youth of color get pushed into the criminal justice system. She has also conducted research on understanding the determinants of educational attainment for black girls. All but three of the court’s justices announced they would quit rather than partake in the controversial elections mandated by a judicial overhaul.
Vanee Sykes
Ms. Diaz holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with minors in Sociology and Economics from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, is a Soro’s Leadership Fellows alumni and holds a Certificate in Business Management from Fairfield University. Jamila Diaz approaches each new business challenge with an intrinsic flair for innovation, creative problem-solving and measured risk-taking to drive consistent bottom-line improvements and returns. She is known in the industry as a leader that has helped SoBRO to deepen market penetration and create tailored customer solutions. Prior to her position with SOBRO, Jamila worked as a Program Coordinator at Neighborhood Solutions for Women (NSFW) where she was charged with managing all aspects of the organization’s operations and assisting with program development.
With her sartorial elegance and keen eye, Kelley brings fourteen years of know-how to interiors, fashion, and gracious living. Her deft skill and top to bottom approach encompasses lifestyle branding product development, editorial styling, and photo Rockland Recovery direction. An intuitive rock star, she anticipates and surpasses her clients’ needs by elevating their brand identity’s look, feel, and capacity. Prior to joining the CUNY Institute, she spent several years working as a research assistant and field agent with the Social Justice Sexuality Initiative at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Rockland Recovery
While in Federal Prison, Topeka K. Sam witnessed first hand the epidemic and disparity of incarceration on women but most specifically women of color. She felt the urgency to bring the faces and voices of women in prison to the public in order to bring awareness to women’s incarceration and post-incarceration issues in order to help change the criminal legal system. In February 2016 she created the first of now 11 symposiums, Real Women Real Voices, “Where the People Meet the Policy” which focused on incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women, the children of incarcerated parents and the carceral state. This symposium sparked a wave of panels and discussions surrounding women in the criminal legal system around the country. Rockland Recovery NYC was created by Topeka K. Sam and Vanee Sykes, both formerly incarcerated women who met while in Danbury Federal Prison in 2013.
- Partially based on her own experiences, her academic work has focused on racial justice and examining the ways in which youth of color get pushed into the criminal justice system.
- In February 2016 she created the first of now 11 symposiums, Real Women Real Voices, “Where the People Meet the Policy” which focused on incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women, the children of incarcerated parents and the carceral state.
- Jamila Diaz approaches each new business challenge with an intrinsic flair for innovation, creative problem-solving and measured risk-taking to drive consistent bottom-line improvements and returns.
- Rockland Recovery NYC was created by Topeka K. Sam and Vanee Sykes, both formerly incarcerated women who met while in Danbury Federal Prison in 2013.
- Ms. Diaz holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with minors in Sociology and Economics from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, is a Soro’s Leadership Fellows alumni and holds a Certificate in Business Management from Fairfield University.
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Rockland Recovery in NY Times
Rockland Recovery NYC is for single women who have experienced incarceration and are returning to New York City. Housing is available to women for up to one year as they readjust to seeing their families, being in their communities, healing themselves and seeking employment and educational opportunities. At the conclusion of the year, our plan is for women to move into permanent housing, while retaining their connection to Rockland Recovery NYC for support. The Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity uses evidence and innovation to reduce poverty and increase equity. It advances research, data and design in the City’s program and policy development, service delivery, and budget decisions.
We provide access to services our sisters need to succeed, from obtaining NYC ID and Social Security cards, to (third party) professional case management and medical care, to searching for permanent housing and establishing an independent, successful and happy lifestyle. Rockland Recovery includes live-in support in a homelike setting with light- filled bedrooms, a large gathering area, and a communal kitchen. We collaborate with community based organizations that will benefit the women of Rockland Recovery NYC.Our goal is for each woman to create an independent, successful and happy life where they can thrive and become whole. But this year, many are there to provide documentation for Donald Trump’s claims of fraud.