On Monday, August 27th, your Toledo Rotary Club Foundation Vice Chairman Eric Fankhauser, presented a check in the amount of $10,000 to Karyn McConnell from the Reentry Coalition of Northwest Ohio. Our Community Service Committee members received the request, participated in the vetting process and made the decision to recommend grant approval to our Club Board and Foundation Trustees—the grant was recently approved.
The funds were used to benefit formerly incarcerated or individuals at risk of incarceration who have behavioral disorders. The Reentry Coalition of Northwest Ohio helps these individuals get bus passes, birth certificates and state ID’s, peer-mentoring, and housing assistance. They work closely with various local service organizations and agencies such as YWCA, Family House, Goodwill of Northwest Ohio, Zepf Center, Naomi House, H.Y.P.E., and the Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board.
The Reentry Coalition of Northwest Ohio (RCNWO) is a coalition of agencies and service providers whose mission is to provide leadership, build partnerships and promote shared accountability for successful community reentry. RCNWO has been in existence for approximately 17 years and received its designation as a 501(c)(3) public charity in April, 2015. The goals of the RCNWO are to eliminate barriers to successful reentry, reduce recidivism, and promote public safety. The RCNWO has Housing, Employment, Legal, Services and Supports and various ad hoc Subcommittees which identify reentry programs and initiatives that are needed to expand the opportunities of the formerly incarcerated to allow them to become productive members of our community and prevent them from recidivating.