Jim Cotterill With Gerry Dick:
Reentrants Make Good Employees
It is true that "nothing stops a bullet like a job." Therefore, a central mission of UNITE INDY is to help procure jobs for the 12,000 justice-involved individuals who re-enter Central Indiana communities every year after release from incarceration.
The findings of our Second Chance Employment Study, conducted by the Lacy School of Business at Butler University, proves the benefit of hiring those who have been released from long-term incarceration. Our State's employers are struggling to fill the 100,000 open warehouse and logistics jobs here, and UNITE INDY is working to supply the personnel they need. For more information, contact UNITE INDY VP, Scott Whiting here and watch the short Inside Indiana Business interview here!
Mayor Announces Anti-Violence Budget:
Largest Investment in IMPD Ever
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett recently unveiled a $166.5 million anti-violence plan that focuses heavily on public safety. He said the city will invest more than $400 million in a once-in-a-generation program that it will include the single-largest commitment to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and community-based public safety efforts in our city’s 200-year history. The anti-violence plan gives $33 million to traditional law enforcement efforts, $82 million toward community-led programming and $51.5 million toward “root cause” services like mental health care, hunger relief, and workforce development.
Marion County Parole Officers 'All In' to help Reentrants
UNITE INDY's Jim Cotterill and Scott Whiting met with 20 Indiana Department of Correction parole agents to explore how UNITE INDY can collaborate with them to help their clients--those who have returned to our community from incarceration hoping to find work.
They discussed the initial findings of the Second Chance Employment research study that analyzed complex data to determine if employees with criminal records performed as well as those without any record. Released just last week, the study showed that there is no difference in job performance. Further analysis indicates that those with higher level felonies outperformed employees with less serious misdemeanor convictions. Armed with this ammunition, UNITE INDY is hopeful that many more employers will soon see the value of offering jobs to reentrants.
Of special interest is UNITE INDY's mentoring program that works with reentrants throughout a process that begins prior to release with Jobs for Life training, then connects them to jobs through our SecondChanceIndy.com web site. Finally we empower them to go forward in life with direct connections to the Service Providers and other resources they’ll need to chart their own course for the future.
Fasting & Praying to End Violence
Dr. Clyde Posley, pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church has organized a city-wide fast and prayer effort on Thursdays for seven-weeks to end violence here. He has organized 100 churches, city leaders and others to join together, using the power of fasting and praying, that was so often exerted in the Bible when people were in great need. Some will fast for a full 24-hours and pray and meditate as often as possible. Others will fast for 12 hours on Thursdays. Even if you can't fast, you can pray. Check out the pastor's Facebook page for more. It started last Thursday, so only six Thursdays to go! There is evidence that this will work! Read Nancy's blog post here.
Race & Cultural Relations Leadership Network Discusses Critical Race Theory
In this month's meeting of the RCRLN Critical Race Theory (CRT) was discussed and the impact of "Purple Parents" who are against including CRT in their children's curriculum.
Panelists included Alleesia Johnson, superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools (pictured). These school representatives overwhelmingly support Critical Race Theory and fear the input of parents who they feel are uninformed at best and potentially racist at worst. No decisions were reached, just a spirited discussion presented by those who are very much in favor of this curriculum.
Why Support UNITE INDY?
UNITE INDY fights the root cause of poverty, which impacts many of the other major problems we face in our city.
In addition to a major effort to work with the 12,000 inmates reentering our area after incarceration, we are working to improve employment in our poorest neighborhoods.

How You Can Support Jobs for Justice- Involved Individuals
3. Become a Member - Your tax deductible gift will buy either 5 Student Workbooks for a class or 10 meals for students, their mentors, and instructors to gather around a table before each class, sharing food, transforming the moment into something more unique by creating a sense of community, which strengthens the relationship building process. 
Support of Ministries and Charities:
Since 2017 UNITE INDY has provided a free web-based system at UNITEINDY.org that connects churches, ministries, and other charities to share their volunteer needs or needed items. UNITE INDY also provides the manpower necessary to assist smaller organizations—that have no one to upload needed items—the help they require to access this service. Through this portal, UNITE INDY has brought hundreds of volunteers and thousands of dollars worth of needed goods into the hands of those who assist the poor.

Serving the Servants:
UNITE INDY comes behind urban pastors and ministry leaders by addressing personal and professional needs with free services for those who work tirelessly in their neighborhoods to care for the needy and bereft. 

Remember, almost 1 out of every 3 children in Indianapolis lives below the poverty level, yet even in the aftermath of the COVID shut down, as our economy comes back to life and employment is returning, all this good news stops at the lines surrounding many of our inner city neighborhoods. In some neighborhoods of Marion County unemployment is now 21%, and poverty remains the overwhelming divider of people.

Please donate to UNITE INDY now. There are a number of choices that are all secure and safe. By sending your fully tax deductible gift* now we can have a greater impact meeting needs in our community in 2021.

Many, many thanks!

 *UNITE INDY, Inc. is approved under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c)(3) as a Public Charity, donors can deduct contributions they make under IRC Section 170.
Corporate Partners
A big Thank YOU to our Corporate Partners for their unwavering support which makes it possible for us to provide our services at no charge to job applicants and employers!


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