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Getting Empowered-Staying Empowered
"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” Bill Gates.
The conversation today will be about extraordinary empowerment. Let it inspire you.
I was at event last week at the Essex House on Central Park South to commemorate the 10th anniversary of “Getting Out Staying Out” or “GOSO”. This is a program that empowers young men in prison to get jobs on their release and stay out.Successful professionals go to Rikers Island to empower these young men from day one of their incarceration. They help get them ready for lives with jobs in mainstream society through education, vocational training, employment assistance and coaching. They continue to be coached when they return to their communities.
The evening’s headliner John Leguziamo, an actor and comedian, presented humor, insight and a personal commitment to the program. He introduced a few GOSO guys who each performed monologues from John’s writings. John augmented these personal readings with brief interviews, providing a deeper glimpse into each young man’s life. While everyone was dining at this posh banquet, the real gems of the night were the “GOSO Guys” between the ages of 18 and 24 who were keynote speakers, award recipients and performers at the event.
One of these guys, known for his big smile, had enrolled in every class the program offered. Another one was hired by a hair salon. He developed such a great attitude and created enough trust in his workplace that within a couple of months he was promoted and given the keys to open and close the salon. I had the pleasure of sitting next to a young man who was fascinated by numbers, data sets and market research. These skills led to his employment by a non-profit to help them get through the system of getting funding from the state. He was so animated and appreciative of me that evening for helping him “get his networking on” as he puts it. His energy was more delicious than the fancy meal at the Essex House.
I was moved by these touching stories about people who would otherwise have most likely returned to prison as NYC is known for its 67% recidivism rate for men in this age group.
GOSO reduces recidivism to under 10%. That’s empowerment.
So how about you – who will you empower today in such a way that would change the course of their life?
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By Jonathan Flaks"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” Bill Gates.
The conversation today will be about extraordinary empowerment. Let it inspire you.
I was at event last week at the Essex House on Central Park South to commemorate the 10th anniversary of “Getting Out Staying Out” or “GOSO”. This is a program that empowers young men in prison to get jobs on their release and stay out.Successful professionals go to Rikers Island to empower these young men from day one of their incarceration. They help get them ready for lives with jobs in mainstream society through education, vocational training, employment assistance and coaching. They continue to be coached when they return to their communities.
The evening’s headliner John Leguziamo, an actor and comedian, presented humor, insight and a personal commitment to the program. He introduced a few GOSO guys who each performed monologues from John’s writings. John augmented these personal readings with brief interviews, providing a deeper glimpse into each young man’s life. While everyone was dining at this posh banquet, the real gems of the night were the “GOSO Guys” between the ages of 18 and 24 who were keynote speakers, award recipients and performers at the event.
One of these guys, known for his big smile, had enrolled in every class the program offered. Another one was hired by a hair salon. He developed such a great attitude and created enough trust in his workplace that within a couple of months he was promoted and given the keys to open and close the salon. I had the pleasure of sitting next to a young man who was fascinated by numbers, data sets and market research. These skills led to his employment by a non-profit to help them get through the system of getting funding from the state. He was so animated and appreciative of me that evening for helping him “get his networking on” as he puts it. His energy was more delicious than the fancy meal at the Essex House.
I was moved by these touching stories about people who would otherwise have most likely returned to prison as NYC is known for its 67% recidivism rate for men in this age group.
GOSO reduces recidivism to under 10%. That’s empowerment.
So how about you – who will you empower today in such a way that would change the course of their life?