The Fortune Society Employment Services Program Photo: Facebook
March 21, 2022 By Christian Murray
A Long Island City-based organization that helps people who have been incarcerated get back on their feet has received a $10 million award care of philanthropist MacKenzie Scott—of Amazon fame.
The Fortune Society, a non-profit organization based at 29-76 Northern Blvd., was given the funds by Scott in recognition of its work helping people integrate back into society after being incarcerated.
Scott was married to Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, and when they divorced in 2019 she received $36 billion in Amazon stock. That year, Scott signed the Giving Pledge, a charitable-giving campaign where participants promise to give away most of their wealth to charity over their lifetime or in their will.
“With this generous gift, MacKenzie Scott has chosen to invest in Fortune and in the inherent potential in people, regardless of their pasts,” said JoAnne Page, president and CEO of The Fortune Society.
“This grant is an important acknowledgement not only of our success in supporting justice-impacted people with crucial services and innovative housing, but also of our advocacy leadership in advancing justice and equity. We are enormously grateful to MacKenzie Scott for this grant, which will further our mission to strengthen the fabric of our communities.”
The Fortune Society, founded in 1967, is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit service and advocacy organizations, serving approximately 9,000 impacted New Yorkers in a typical year. The organization provides job training programs, job placement services and housing services. In addition, it also provides substance abuse treatment, medical assistance and transitional services such as the Rikers Island Discharge Enhancement (R.I.D.E.) program,
The non profit operates out of its Long Island City center and two facilities in Harlem. The organization is nationally recognized for developing model programs that help people with criminal justice histories rebuild their lives.
“Fortune’s work has become more important throughout its 55-year history as incarceration rates have increased, most heavily burdening communities of color disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system,” said Dennis Kozlowski, Board Chair at The Fortune Society,
“MacKenzie Scott’s gift recognizes the efforts Fortune makes to not only mitigate but to eliminate the long-term harms that mass incarceration inflicts on individuals, families, communities, and society as a whole.”
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13 Comments
How about someone start giving money and opportunities to the victims of these criminals? I get tired of perpetrators being rewarded.
No one is in Rikers Island for smoking a joint or jumping a turnstile.
Gabbi- “Start giving” with you. Stop looking and complaining about to whom what or where others are giving. You’re perfectly capable of making a difference and giving yourself.
You missed the point of my comment- every help
And aide for criminals. Nothing for Crime Victims- no compassion from people such as yourself who enables criminal perpetrators. You must be a criminal or a co defendant.
Stop crying? How about you stop bullying?
I question this one sided compassion. Crime Victims have rights.
A start would be Crime Victims Services. Crime victim assistance programs provide a range of services, including crisis intervention, counseling, emergency shelter, criminal justice advocacy, and emergency transportation. Yes, one must be a criminal or an “enabler” to be sick and tired of belly archers, whiners and cry babies. Yeah, you got me.
When you say “bully” do you mean like when Trump nearly knocked over all of those other world leaders for a photo op?
People obsessed with Trump bring him up out of no where. guy has been out of office for almost a year and a half. move on.
@Trump derangement- But Trump committed the act. This is what Republicans do, constantly repeat peoples lowest moments. They did it with Bill Clinton, Weiner, Cuomo (especially on this site) etc…Trump still keeps himself in the public eye and said he will be running for office and leads the Republican Party, so that makes him fair game. Stop being a snowflake.
The president that refuses to concede and is appealing all his phony lawsuits that were tossed out of court to “#StopTheSteal” following a deadly riot. If we’re to move on, maybe he could lead by example?
WOW Gabbi- Are you off mark. The guys comment is just telling you charity begins with us. Your tirade has absolutely nothing to do with his post except for the “crying” which you reinforced nicely I may add by your comment.
are you sure about that???
Exactly, why have them be rehabilitated? Better to keep former criminals desperate for money, great plan!
Keep them locked up where they belong
Exactly, why should they have jobs and pay taxes? Better for the taxpayer to pay their room and board. Great plan!