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ReEntry Employment Resource Center (RERC)
In 2002 a group of concerned people was convened by The Delta Strategy to identify the barriers faced by persons returning to our community from prison or jail. The group focused on obstacles that interfere with persons leading productive crime free lifestyles. The group concentrated discussion and planning in the areas of: Employment, Community based support resources, Faith based in-reach and aftercare, women’s issues, veteran’s services, and policy and legal issues.
The Delta Strategy Ex-offender group organized first as the Reentry Resource Center (RERC), a 501c(3) non-profit organization, and eventually as the Reentry Employment Resource Center.
A new model has been created for mitigating the risk of hiring exoffenders to the employer. By focusing on the business concerns regarding risk, and providing assessment, training, mentoring and support services as aligned with mitigating risk, employers have been changing their recruitment policies and hiring practices. The goal of this innovation is to expand this demand driven model and recruit additional employers who a) value or prefer certification of completion of the training and referral from the RERC, b) alter their hiring practices to consider exoffenders or adopt an exoffender friendly EEO policy, and c) agree to interview and hire referrals from the RERC based on their knowledge of their needs and fit with their organization.
The RERC is currently governed by a Board of Directors consisting of the members of 7 members of the community, representing Business, Finance, Law, Marketing, Community, the former RRT member and an exoffender / client. The board will also have two advisory boards representing critical stakeholders, including government corrections and nonprofit service providers, and a business advisory council, comprised of business representatives willing to promote the RERC to their peers and advocate for public policy change in the State and Federal legislature.
For more information contact:
Ron Stuursma
(616) 560-9045
rstuursma@wmrerc.org
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