Last Wednesday, we hosted the second annual Parent’s Day at our Long Island City service center, providing participants the opportunity to learn more about family services and resources available in New York City.  

The full day event featured presentations, networking opportunities, panel discussions, raffles and more, aimed at celebrating parents in the Fortune community and equipping them with resources to aid in reentry. 

Representatives from organizations including Children of Promise NYC, Echoes of Incarceration and the Child Support Office hosted informational sessions and spoke one on one with participants.  

The informational sessions educated parents about their legal rights, offered options for childcare and discussed healing after incarceration. Fortune’s Creative Arts Coordinator, Mario, also shared a poem highlighting the challenges of parenting during and after incarceration, and the emotional toll it took on his family. 

Crystal Ferguson, the co-founder and Executive Director of Loving You into Freedom (LYIF), hosted an interactive session with participants.  

Loving You into Freedom is dedicated to prioritizing wellness as a fundamental tool for healing before, during, and after incarceration. The organization offers comprehensive family reunification services, youth mentorship programs and expert consultations. LYIF provides referrals to connect families impacted by the criminal justice system with the best possible support. Their mission is to foster holistic well-being and strengthen the bonds within families facing these challenges, ensuring they receive the guidance and resources necessary for a positive transformation.

Crystal inspired confidence and healing in the parents during her interactive session, having them repeat the mantra, “I forgive myself.” She encouraged participants to move forward and to make transformative changes for themselves and their families, encapsulating the main goals of celebrating and empowering Fortune parents.