|
Click the “play” icon on the image above to watch a short film about Why Not Prosper. On a chilly spring morning in Philadelphia, Michelle Simmons unlocks the door to the building she owns on Chelten Avenue, not far from her old middle school. She owns three buildings in Germantown, actually. More accurately, her nonprofit owns them. But Simmons and her organization, Why Not Prosper, are basically synonymous. Once inside the building, she moves quickly, flipping light switches, sorting paperwork, stuffing goodie bags, talking herself through each to-do. She tackles detail after detail, always moving forward, building her dream to help formerly incarcerated women like herself. Twenty years ago, Simmons had no keys. Instead of unlocking doors for women, doors closed in her face, just as she wanted to charge ahead. “As I was reentering society, I ran into barrier after barrier after barrier,” she says. “I got tired of people telling me no.” After serving six years on and off in the California Institute for Women, Simmons was released in 1999. She left prison determined to rebuild her life, but felony convictions for possession, prostitution, and receiving stolen property followed her everywhere. Simmons wanted to regain custody of her children, but she needed stable housing and steady employment before a judge would consider it. When government housing turned her away, she found a church in Norristown willing to give her a room. “It was in that house that God said: open up a program for women coming from prison,” she says. “That’s where Why Not Prosper was born. In that house, on that day.”  Michelle Simmons, founder of Why Not Prosper, hands out brochures on E. Allegheny Avenue in Kensington, an area with high concentrations of homelessness and opioid addiction. Simmons wants women to know about the services offered by Why Not Prosper, in case they want to seek help, or know someone who does. Today, Why Not Prosper has helped 10,000 women, Simmons estimates, through its residential program, hotline, and resource library. Across its three properties, the organization offers 25 beds to formerly incarcerated women who need a place to land after living months, years, or sometimes decades behind bars. “I’ve seen thousands of women’s lives change,” Simmons says. “I’ve seen the women whose lives change reach back and grab another woman’s hand and bring them to the program and say, ‘This is where you need to be. This is where you’re going to get your help from.’” Women in Why Not Prosper’s residential program find a supportive community where they receive trauma-informed therapy, attend 12-step recovery meetings, and help each other navigate the maze of obstacles that perplex and frustrate many of the 600,000 people released from prisons each year. These obstacles exist in nearly every pocket of society. Employers rarely hire people with criminal convictions. Voting is off limits. So are public benefits, public housing, and student loans. The road back to society comes with added challenges for women, particularly mothers. “Women have very specific needs,” says Ann Schwartzmann, coordinator for the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program at Temple University, and a supporter of Why Not Prosper. “It’s not necessarily like men coming home because women often have children to take care of or maybe their parents.” While women comprise only a small portion of the US prison population — less than 7 percent, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons — the number of women in prisons has climbed steadily since 1980, by a factor of seven. There are approximately 1.2 million women currently living inside the US criminal justice system, according to The Sentencing Project, and more than 60 percent are mothers to children under 18. Black women have disproportionately felt the impact of rising incarceration rates over the past four decades. They’re nearly twice as likely as White women to go to prison. The rate is higher among Black girls, who are three times more likely than White peers to be placed in correctional institutions. While women and girls are significantly impacted by incarceration, their lower numbers in prisons and jails — relative to men — has meant fewer resources and supports, says Darryl Vereen, chair of Why Not Prosper’s board of directors. “Black males have been under attack in the justice system for a long time, so there has been a response to give that support,” he says. “Typically you hear about a lot of reentry and recovery programs that are male-focused. To see one that is thriving and doing well for women — it’s encouraging.”  April Lee, a graduate of Why Not Prosper’s residential program, hugs her nine-year-old daughter LeeAnn Veney. “It’s an uphill battle, not only to get your children back, but to change your reputation and the way people see you,” Lee says. She now works in a role helping parents navigate the child welfare system. At a March get-together in Why Not Prosper’s main building — its first since the COVID-19 outbreak — nearly 30 women gathered in a bright yellow room for what Simmons calls the Sister Circle. It’s a time for women in the program to connect with graduates, share stories and experiences, and learn from one another. A catered buffet served shrimp and grits, an art therapist led a creative activity, and the women discussed what hindered and helped them since leaving incarceration. Many sang the praises of Why Not Prosper in helping them overcome their past and create better lives for themselves and their families. On this day, Simmons asked the Sister Circle to talk about probation (a sentence imposed after conviction) and parole (monitoring assigned after incarceration), which keep many formerly incarcerated people under the supervision of the criminal justice system long after they’ve left confinement. “I’m getting texts and calls [from the Department of Corrections] that say this is a violation,” said one woman speaking to the group. “That right there was enough for me to just say I don’t care, I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want to get clean anymore. That was enough to make me run.” While many people perceive parole and probation as a means of keeping people out of prison, a 2019 report from the Council of State Governments shows that technical violations of parole and probation, like missing appointments with supervising officers or failing drug tests, account for almost a quarter of state prison admissions nationwide. As the women in the Sister Circle shared their experiences, they expressed a desire to have someone explicitly help them understand their rights after incarceration; they wanted more gender-responsive programs for women; they needed a resource guide to help them find housing or legal assistance; and they wanted to receive positive feedback for their accomplishments rather than punitive reactions to their mistakes. Simmons hosts these Sister Circles primarily to help women connect with one another and grow their network of support, but the discussions also help her keep a close eye on aspects of the criminal justice system that are holding women back so she can share their wishes with policy-makers in the state. “We have to come from behind the desk,” she says, “from out of the office or onto the front line, into the community, into the politicians’ office, into the community rooms with other people who make decisions around our lives, because the formerly incarcerated population is very discriminated against.”  People line up on the sidewalk in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood to receive free hot meals from Caring Helpful Handz, a service organization started by Why Not Prosper graduate April Lee. “From the start of coming here, I’ve always had that spirit of giving and wanting to reach back,” Lee says. “There’s always been a stranger in my life that blessed me if I was hungry or if I needed something. And that’s what humanity is about to me.” Simmons is now Rev. Dr. Michelle Simmons — or “The Rev” to people who know her well. The name speaks to her title, but equally reflects her vibrant energy, which can only be described as unstoppable. She now holds a Master’s Degree in counseling psychology and a Doctorate in Ministry, but when she first wanted to become a licensed therapist, criminal convictions barred her from applying to take the exam. In Pennsylvania, there are nearly 500 such “collateral consequences” to criminal conviction. These include barriers to certain types of employment, penalties, fines, and the implicit — or explicit — threat of returning to jail. Nearly two-thirds of formerly incarcerated people are rearrested within three years, many of them for parole and probation violations. “It defines you. It takes over who you are,” says Toby Oxholm, executive director of Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity and a collaborator with Simmons in criminal justice reform. “If you can’t get a yes when you’re applying, and it’s always, ‘No, sorry, you have a criminal record,’ why get up in the morning?” In 2016, Simmons received a pardon from Governor Tom Wolf, and suddenly more pathways and possibilities opened up for her, making it easier to chase her dreams. What she gains for herself, she wants for other women as well. So, as chair of the steering committee for The Pardon Project, Simmons recently brought pressure to Gov. Wolf to approve a back-log of pardon recommendations. “We’re letting people know that they have a chance for a pardon,” Simmons wrote in a letter to Gov. Wolf. “You get excited, make plans, and then all that comes crashing down when nothing happens. You are heaping despair on them.” In February, Gov. Wolf approved more than 300 pardons. “What The Rev does that guys like me can’t do is speak truth to power, with voices that matter,” says Oxholm. “Not people who have learned about it or studied it or gotten degrees in it, but people who have lived it and suffered with it and borne the burdens of it.” Stepping into an advocacy role and speaking up for formerly incarcerated women is simply part of the example Simmons decided to set since someone first opened a door for her. “I want people coming behind me to know that if there’s a will, there’s a way,” Simmons says. “We are not our mistakes. We are not our experiences. We are somebody.”  Michelle Simmons stands in the doorway of Why Not Prosper’s headquarters in Germantown, the Philadelphia neighborhood where she grew up. She founded the organization 20 years ago to help formerly incarcerated women like herself.
Top photo: Michelle Simmons outside the main building of Why Not Prosper on Cheney Avenue, pointing up at the sky. “I’m so proud I actually did it,” she says. “I remember walking through the church in Norristown saying I want to start a program for women. I took that vision and I just lived it, drank it, talked about it, shared it, and now here we are.”
1 Comment
Our Virtual Town Hall: Moving Beyond Probation and Parole, held on April 8 from 6 -7:30pm was a tremendous success. Nearly 50 people joined the conversation, which featured Brandon J. Flood, Secretary of the Board of Pardons, and was moderated by Eric Marsh, Sr., Community Organizer for WHYY. Special thank you's also go out to Vince Motto, The Early Termination Specialist: Bobby and Ramona Harris from Unincarcerated Minds, and Ron Cuie, Special Advisor to the Empowerment Center, USA. You can watch the entire Town Hall, below.  Recently, WHYY broadcast the Precious Places Why Not Prosper video documentary, which will be streaming at this link for a limited time, if you would like to watch and share.
https://video.whyy.org/video/why-not-prosper-yes-we-can-achievement-and-cultural-center-5tfizd/  As part of Black History Month, the Eagle's are spotlighting the work done by the non-profits that partnered with their Social Justice initiative, including Why Not Prosper.
These are some of the social posts promoting Why Not Prosper: Story: https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/why-not-prosper Twitter: https://twitter.com/Eagles/status/1356622543340322816 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKy2gh6FUHH/?igshid=1cqibobl45uq6 Go Eagles! MEDIA ALERT - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
American Fundraising Foundation Announces Golden Pear Award Recipients MAITLAND, Fla. (August 20, 2020) – The American Fundraising Foundation (AmFund) has announced 21 Golden Pear Award recipients as part of its expanded support for qualified nonprofit organizations throughout the nation. Over 615 organizations applied for these additional funding opportunity grants due to the adverse impact of the pandemic on their fundraising abilities. “Each organization effectively demonstrated their need, and as a nonprofit ourselves, it was a very difficult decision to choose some organizations over others”, said Deborah Marshall, Chief Operating Officer of the American Fundraising Foundation. “We are grateful to the nonprofit community for continuing to make life better for all of us through their varied missions. The Golden Pear is part of our logo and symbolizes good health, prosperity, longevity and future happiness – all the things we hope for these worthy organizations.” This year’s Golden Pear Award recipients, receiving unrestricted grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 are: Act Now Foundation – North Bergen, New Jersey EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Foundation – Niceville, Florida Marian Hope Center for Children’s Therapy – Independence, Missouri Missions On Wheels – Magnolia, Texas Sunlight Children’s Advocacy – Andover, Kansas Delaware Humane Association – Wilmington, Delaware Why Not Prosper – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Feed My Starving Children – Coon Rapids, Minnesota Gilda’s Club – Rochester, New York The Vine School – Victoria, Texas Agape Animal Rescue – Old Hickory, Tennessee Family & Children Services – Midland, Michigan Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine – Lakeland, Florida Riverstone Senior Life Services – New York, New York Al Wooten, Jr. Youth Center – Los Angeles, California Ronald McDonald House of Houston/Galveston – Bellaire, Texas Heart Haven Outreach – Bolingbrook, Illinois The Foundation of Hope – Raleigh, North Carolina Racine Zoo – Racine, Wisconsin Matthew’s Hope Ministries – Orlando, Florida South Shore YMCA – Norwell, Massachusetts “We congratulate the recipients of this year’s awards and are grateful for all the organizations who applied. Their stories are heartwarming and compelling. I cannot imagine life without the valuable services they provide. We will continue to work with each applicant to provide additional support through our signature sponsorship of events,” said Marshall. AmFund routinely supports hundreds of nonprofits through sponsorship of events; however, with the necessity of cancelling events, the landscape for fundraising has rapidly changed. As a result, AmFund introduced a new VIP Virtual Silent Auction and a new electronic platform uniquely designed for organizations chosen to be supported by AmFund. The American Fundraising Foundation, a GuideStar Platinum rated 501(c)3 nonprofit, has distributed over 36 million dollars to other service-providing nonprofits over the course of the past 20 years. It was also recognized as the 2020 Fundraiser of the Year by Nonprofit PRO. To apply for AmFund’s additional funding opportunities call 407-895-8000 or send an email to Info@AmFund.org Media Contact: Deborah Marshall Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer dmarshall@amfund.org (407) 895-8000 About the American Fundraising Foundation Each year, the American Fundraising Foundation (AmFund) carefully chooses organizations to support through sponsorship of events, unrestricted grant distribution, virtual silent auctions, and other programs to raise much-needed unrestricted funds for the important mission of those organizations. AmFund was recognized in 2020 by Nonprofit PRO as Fundraiser of the Year. It is also recognized with the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency and since 1999 has distributed more than $36 million for worthy causes. Its signature silent auctions featuring once-in-a-lifetime experiences, that are good for three years with no blackout dates, are presented at organizations’ special events - drawing admiration, praise and excitement as the entire process elevates the event in the eyes of patrons, board members and the community. This year, it introduced AmFund VIP, a virtual silent auction that is becoming the “go-to” fundraising option for nonprofits. Leveraging more than two decades of fundraising experience, AmFund also provides expert training on a wide variety of topics and offers subject matter expertise through its Speaker’s Bureau for groups ranging in size from 12 to 500. For more information, visit www.amfund.org or call (407) 895-8000. Read AmFund’s blog at www.amfund.org/blog and connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn. ### #headlines #todaysnews #newsreporter #updatenews #newstoday #newsoftheday #newsupdate #latestnews #dailynews #breakingnews #news  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6/17/20 Contact: Rev. Dr. Michelle A. Simmons (215) 842-2360 whynotprosper@aol.com Local Nonprofit Executive Michelle Simmons Named to NSBA Leadership Council Germantown, PA – Rev. Dr. Michelle Simmons, Founder & CEO of Why Not Prosper, Philadelphia, PA was recently named to the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership Council. NSBA is the nation’s oldest small-business advocacy organization, and operates on a staunchly nonpartisan basis. Simmons, a recognized leader in the small-business community, joins the NSBA Leadership Council alongside other small-business advocates from across the country as they work to promote the interests of small business to policymakers in Washington, D.C. “As the operator of a nonprofit advocating criminal justice reform, I see daily the importance of being involved and active when it comes to laws and regulation,” stated Simmons. “Joining NSBA’s Leadership Council will enable me to take our collective message to the people that need to hear it most: Congress.” Simmons joined the NSBA Leadership Council as part of her efforts to tackle the many critical issues facing small business, including tax reform, regulatory restraint, health care costs and how the Affordable Care Act will impact small business. The NSBA Leadership Council is focused on providing valuable networking between small-business advocates from across the country while ensuring small business a seat at the table as Congress and regulators take up key small-business proposals. “I am proud to have Rev. Simmons as part of our Leadership Council,” stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “She came to us highly recommended and I look forward our coordinated efforts for years to come.” Please click here to learn more about Why Not Prosper. For more on the NSBA Leadership Council, please visit www.nsba.biz Why Not Prosper has a mission to help women from prison systems discover their own strength by providing them with the support and resources that will empower them to become responsible, economically self-sufficient and contributing members of the community. ###  We have made some temporary changes to our processes and programs due to the COVID19 virus. One major shift is that we cannot have a community dinner for our women until things are a little less restricting. As we addressed this with our women, the thought was presented that we should turn our restriction into a blessing by using our time (and food) to do something good. The result is the Share the Bounty project. As the world faces the challenges of COVID-19, the fear of diminishing access to fresh food and produce grows nationwide. The greater Philadelphia area ranks in the top 10 U.S. cities with the highest number of food insecure residents, with more than 12% of the population in our region before the pandemic. Here in Philadelphia County, the number is higher than the national average, with an estimated 302,685 people living with food insecurity and increasing. During the pandemic we have been getting more food donations than usual from ShopRite, Relish Restaurant (takeout) and Wawa and we felt it was important that our neighbors have access to this food. So, our women have decided to “share the bounty” and distribute this food to the community. Share the Bounty involves distribution of food 4 days a week. Why Not Prosper women package the food according to what we have available and we ensure that the packages are balanced and have protein in them at least a couple of times a week. We are practicing social distancing and always include clean, healthy practices for food handling. The food packages are set out on two tables at our offices and there is a measured distance of 6 feet. Our neighbors stop by our location and are very grateful for the food and very respectful of our social distancing requirements. We are currently serving an average of 45 families a day. ‘What I want as an African-American woman is to be heard, be seen and be counted’ by Rev. Michelle6/5/2020  Read Rev. Michelle's full article here. |
NewsArchives
April 2023
Categories |
RSS Feed
|
whynotprosper@aol.com
Tel: (610) 716-1113 |
|
Why Not Prosper, Inc.
Germantown Office: 717 E. Chelten Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19144 |
© Why Not Prosper. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy