Community Partners in Action (CPA) gathered for its annual meeting with employees, participants, donors, and partners to celebrate another year of mission-critical work serving adults and youth throughout Connecticut.
Executive Director Beth Hines gave thanks to staff for the many positive initiatives that came to fruition in 2022. This included expanded reentry services in Hartford and Waterbury, vocational training for youth, and a growing partnership with Career Resources Inc. that will help build skills for in-demand jobs for adults. Beth paid tribute to staff for their dedication and service with numerous employee awards and thanked the Board for their unwavering support.
Participant Recognition
At the center of it all were the participants and keynote speaker who told their turnaround stories and expressed gratitude to all those at Community Partners in Action who helped to make a new life beyond incarceration possible.
- Daryl McGraw, the keynote speaker, opened his own organization called Formerly Inc. in 2018, a Connecticut-based criminal justice reform agency, predominantly staffed by formerly incarcerated individuals. In 2020 Daryl was inducted into the Connecticut Hall of Change for his tireless commitment to the welfare of formerly incarcerated people. He now works in the Public Defender’s Office for the State of Connecticut.
- Michael Neal, former Work Release program participant at 121 Washington Street in Hartford, where he first stayed when released from prison. Michael thanked those from Community Partners in Action who helped to give him the foundation he needed to find work and rebuild his life.
- Mack Young and Daryl Greene, both received the Gordon S. Bates Scholarship Award. Mack and Daryl are CPA participants and are involved in helping formerly incarcerated individuals seek recovery support services for alcohol and drug addiction.
Outstanding Program of the Year went to our Community Service program at Hartford Community Court. Program Manager Deb Barrows and her team provides supervision for individuals assigned to complete community service for quality-of-life offenses. Deb’s team oversaw more than 6,700 hours of community service in 2022, with projects including street cleaning, gardening, and food services.
Michael Kearney, board member, closed out the meeting sharing his reasons for being involved in the board having brothers who struggled with addiction growing up in Baltimore. Michael is currently the vice president of Emerging Technology and Innovation at The Hartford and he is CPA’s incoming Chair, taking the reins from Anne Stanback who is stepping off the Board after six years of service.