Women Empowered to Prosper Resource Center (WEP) was founded in 2002 as a 501 (c) (3) in Newark, New Jersey. The initial objective of WEP was to aid the women of Greater Newark who had been displaced in life by immense challenges and were in crisis due to poverty, incarceration, low literacy, and domestic violence. The women's needs included emergency/transitional housing, counseling, education, career development, food, and clothing. WEP provided in-house services and utilized collaborative partnerships in delivering community-based resources to empower the women to become self-sufficient and stabilized. Among the women using WEP services were females who had been released from incarceration. WEP intentionally focused on "incarceration" as a contributing outcome of poverty and, through its Women's Reentry Program, started three collaborative community engagement projects: 1) The Female Offender Reentry Group Effort (FORGE), 2) Rites of Passage Program, and 3) Emergency/Transitional Housing for formerly incarcerated women.
The number of women on parole in New Jersey statewide in 2004 was approximately 1,200. Many of these women needed housing referrals, spiritual empowerment, employment, and other services to assist them with their transition back into society. Therefore, in 2004 WEP solidified a collaborative partnership with University Bible Center Church and the New Jersey State Parole Board (NJSPB) to help women on parole adjust to community supervision and reduce their recidivism.
The NJSPB, through its pilot project FORGE (Female Offender Reentry Group Effort), developed by WEP's founder Angela Marshall and funded by the Nicholson Foundation, comprised of 1) a specific caseload consisting of all females returning to Essex County and on parole within the local district office, and 2) the establishment of a Community Resource Center for women in partnership with a community stakeholder. On this caseload, the officer utilized a supervision tool known as the Parole Accountability Conference Team (PACT). WEP designed workshops for NJSPB and provided other supportive wraparound services to enhance their PACT meetings by ensuring gender-specific meeting topics addressing challenges facing women on parole, thus creating the first Women's PACT for NJSPB.
For this celebration, the community came together with representatives of the Newark City government, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, Essex County College, and many others to welcome the woman back into the community. In addition, a community completion ceremony for the women was incorporated into WEP's design, known as the Female Offender Rites of Passage. A total of seven annual "Rites of Passage" programs were held in Newark from 2005 to 2011.
Overall, WEP supported NJSPB and its Division of Community Programs in creating a statewide plan to provide paroled women with gender-responsive programming strategies in community supervision, emergency/transitional housing, and education. In 2009, a study by the Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations, authored by Heather Tubman Carbone, found that women who participated in FORGE — Female Offender Re-entry Group — were less likely to commit another crime than those who didn't participate in the program.
Our goal is to interrupt women's poverty cycle through access to resources, mentoring, and spiritual and wellness activities to develop self-sufficiency, economic mobility, and stability.
Our amazing team and part-time volunteers have remained steadfast over the years. They are committed to helping women, children, and families impacted by poverty and incarceration through literacy, advocacy, and education. We take our convictions and turn them into action as we travel and grow. This energy and need have brought the Women Empowered To Prosper Resource Center to Atlanta, Georgia! With an extended team expanding from the northeast to the southeast, the fight against poverty continues, and our footprint's impact remains authentic to helping the common humanity of women, children, and communities.
As the Executive Director for Women Empowered to Prosper, Angela H. Marshall has proven to be confident, capable, and committed to the organization's mission, vision, and goals. Angela's career has been seasoned through various public servant roles within New Jersey government, spanning twenty-five years. She spent three years as an Adjunct Professor for Essex County Community College. Additionally, she provided first-year course instruction for Rutgers University NJ STEP Program inside Edna Mahan Correction Facility for Women.
Along the east coast, Angela is best known for her previous role as the State of New Jersey's Sr. Parole Officer and Coordinator of Women Reentry for the Division of Parole, and in Atlanta, Georgia, as the Sr. Director of Workforce and Adult Reentry for The Urban League of Greater Atlanta. As a mission-driven and passionate leader who advocates for women, children, and racial and social justice, she is known as a change agent.
Jay Holder serves as Director National Executive Council (NEC) at Columbia University's Center for Justice . The NEC comprises business, nonprofit, and government executives in partnership with community leaders, including system-impacted people, to foster community-centered solutions for underserved neighborhoods.
The Center For Justice is a unique, complex research entity in which university faculty & students, community-based partners, and formerly incarcerated scholars from organizations (such as Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison) are tasked with improving communities primarily through higher education. Jay has emerged as one of the country's most innovative and established leaders in community building and the social justice field.
In this role, Jay leads our public affairs and community development efforts, creating and managing national and multi-state initiatives that cultivate and engage stakeholders around community engagement, education, and strategic business priorities—collaborating with diverse teams across the business, including policymakers, communications, academic research, and social impact. His expertise with inter-organizational partnerships throughout the nation and shared leadership has brought awareness, advocacy, and analysis skills to the organization, enabling WEP to deliver uniquely crafted community engagement experiences for our clients and partners.
Anita M. Lee has worked in education for 39-plus years. She has served as a high school principal, assistant principal, middle school principal, and assistant principal during her career. Anita has worked in the traditional, alternative, and non-traditional educational settings with students from preschool to 25 years of age seeking a conventional diploma or a GED. Anita has an extensive background in developing and implementing School Improvement Plans, Title I Plans, grants, Title I budgets, and traditional budgets design and implementation. Also, she has experience in Monitoring Instruction, curriculum development, and evaluations for certified and non-certified staff.
Actively participated in designing and writing the Striving Readers Literacy Grant awarded to The Fulton County School System for three years to improve overall student literacy. Designed and implemented the school improvement program for students to improve reading skills, increase the graduation rate, and before and after school educational online opportunities. Developed a program of Professional Learning for teachers; all certified staff participated in a yearlong program to receive a Reading Endorsement from Kennesaw State University.
Additionally, she worked for The National Football League's Youth Development Program for four years as the assistant director. She provided over 600 youth each summer with an educational tutorial program, employment training, and physical fitness in a residential setting at the University of West Georgia. Work experience has also included working as an Employment Counselor with the Fulton County Summer Youth Program.
In her recent role as an educational consultant, Anita has made an invaluable impact on adult and youth reentry in metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia. Anita has provided academic coaching and consulting by assisting individuals impacted by the justice system with attainable goals in traditional and vocational education, leading to economic mobility for them and their families.
Anita has trained in School Quality Review, Critical Friends, Georgia Teacher Evaluation Keys, Mapping Skills, and school-wide professional development and served as a School Quality Review Team member.
Renee Tyner, an Atlanta native and co-owner of Neema & Company, has always wanted to give back to her community, mainly focusing on helping those overcome life's financial barriers. Her ultimate focus is to provide clients with the best practical tools and strategies they can use immediately to improve organizational outcomes. Renee has over 25+ years of practical experience in several industries, such as non-profit, transportation logistics, construction, real estate, and the fitness industries. She obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Stetson Business School of Mercer University.
Renee provides Women Empowered To Prosper Resource Center with elite services to streamline our back-office space towards organizational efficiency and client services. .
Copyright © 2022 Women Empowered To Prosper Resource Center - All Rights Reserved.
Women Empowered To Prosper Resource Center is a Section 501(c) (3) charitable organization, EIN 03-0424551. All donations are deemed tax-deductible absent any limitations on deductibility applicable to a particular taxpayer. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your contribution.
Women Empowered to Prosper Resource Center does not, by policy or practice, discriminate against a person or group on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity and expression, marital or military status, or based on any individual’s status in any group or class protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.