Greetings!

The last two months have seen OAR back out in the community in big ways, and you'll see that action throughout this newsletter. As always, we appreciate your support and look forward to continuing our work to change the way returning citizens come home.

In this newsletter, you'll find:
  • The OAR 50th Anniversary Celebration & Annual Fundraiser
  • OAR Offers New Client Classes
  • Dr. Danielle Rudes Shares Findings on Effects of Solitary Confinement
  • Second Chance Month
  • Housing Affordability for Justice-Involved Individuals
  • Fairfax Reentry Council Holds Weekly Panel Discussions
The 50th Anniversary Celebration and Fundraiser was held last month at The Winery at Bull Run. It was our most successful fundraiser ever, bringing together more than 175 supporters
and raising over $61,000! A HUGE thank you to everyone who came out and made the investment in safer communities through OAR.

Check out the pictures from the celebration here!

We want to again thank our special guest
CJ Appleton for sharing his story with us. We are so grateful for his words and we are thankful to those fighting the good fight everyday for a more just world.
OAR Offering New Classes
Thinking about making some changes but don't know where to start?

OAR is offering several new classes for clients including Social Values, Seeking Employment, and Responsible Thinking.
Click the posters below to
e-mail our facilitators to join today!
Surviving Solitary: Dr. Danielle Rudes
Explores the Effects of Confinement
In Case You Missed It…

We are fortunate to have such passionate and committed board members at OAR, and Dr. Danielle Rudes is one of those board members. We had to pleasure of hosting Dr. Rudes for a talk on her research in solitary confinement. If you were unable to join Dr. Rudes for her talk on May 2nd , you can check out the video below. If you are looking to purchase Dr. Rudes’ eye-opening book, click here!


Second Chance Month
April was Second Chance Month and we want to continue to honor that by connecting OAR clients to jobs. Do YOU have a business that you want to employ returning citizens? Reach out to us! We can talk with you about the opens jobs you have and connect you with past OAR clients who are looking for employment and are a good fit for your team. E-mail Erica Gaffney here!
Affordable Housing for Justice-involved Individuals

Advocacy is an important element of OAR Nova's work in the community because so often justice-involved individuals and their families are forgotten when it comes to making community decisions. Affordable housing is a significant challenge for many of OAR's clients so we need clients and supporters alike to speak up when they have the chance to make a difference.
Watch the video below as OAR's Executive Director Derwin Overton reminds the Fairfax Board of Supervisors to consider justice-involved citizens while they work to make housing more affordable in the County.
The Fairfax Reentry Council Holds Weekly Panels

In May, the Fairfax Reentry Council held weekly panel discussions every Tuesday. The focus of these important discussions was to explore diversity and inclusion in reentry. OAR's Derwin Overton and Jamie Milloy (OAR's Program Director) both spoke and you can watch them along with several other timely talks here.

STAY CONNECTED