When Savannah Freitas joined Community Partners in Action (CPA) in February 2025, she knew her time with us would be brief—just nine months before starting law school. But in those nine months, she made a lasting impact that will be felt long after she’s gone.
A Plainville native with a Boston College degree and a fierce passion for justice, Savannah arrived at CPA with one goal: to immerse herself in the world of reentry services before beginning her next chapter as a future public defender. What she found was not just professional experience, but a team that shared her values—and more than 100 individuals whose lives she helped change.
Working under a Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) federal grant, Savannah served participants returning home from halfway houses. Her mission: to help them find stable housing, secure employment, and regain their footing in a society that isn’t always forgiving. “CPA really does what it says it’s going to do,” Savannah said. “We accept everyone who walks through our doors, no conditions, no judgment.”
She speaks with pride—and heart—about one participant in particular, a man in his 60s with a complex legal history, no ID, and no birth certificate. After months of determination, she and the Hartford Reentry Welcome Center team helped him obtain both—and soon after, he landed a warehouse job. “He never gave up, even when it got really hard,” she said. “I just kept showing up for him—and he kept showing up, too.”
That kind of resilience, both from participants and staff, defines CPA. “No one here is just here for a paycheck,” Savannah said. “Everyone is driven by the mission. It’s hard to find that kind of authenticity in an organization—and it’s something I’ll carry with me forever.”
Savannah was more than a case manager. She was a cheerleader, a connector, and a believer in second chances. Whether she was helping participants write resumes, tracking down employment leads, or greeting new arrivals at our reentry center with a warm “Welcome home,” she brought the empathy and energy of someone committed to seeing people succeed.
A dedicated scholar, Savannah also authored a 130-page undergraduate thesis on immigration advocacy and how funding sources influence messaging—research her professor recently asked her to revise for publication considering the current political climate. It’s just one more way she’s contributing to the broader conversation on justice.
Outside of work, Savannah brings equal energy and joy to her personal life. She’s a competitive salsa dancer who trains four nights a week and performs in shows across the region. A recent trip to Colombia inspired her to take it to the next level—fulfilling her 2025 goal of dancing in a professional salsa showcase. She also comes from a big family—one of seven siblings—and speaks Spanish fluently, a skill that’s helped her connect even more deeply with many CPA participants.
When asked if she’d ever come back to Connecticut, she smiled. “I didn’t think so at first,” she admitted. “But CPA showed me what it’s like to do this work in a state that supports it. That’s powerful.”
We wish Savannah all the best on her next journey. Harvard is lucky to have her—and we’ll always keep a desk open for her return.