TRI has a mission to provide our members with all the resources we can under one roof, limiting their need to bounce around between organizations to gain basic needs. However, housing continues to be a major barrier to our members.

Over the past year the cost of stable housing has been a challenge for many individuals living in Boulder County and doubly challenging for those we serve. Homelessness is increasing at a rapid rate and we are seeing an uptick in housing needs within the justice-involved population we serve.

Unfortunately, our current funding for housing is grant restricted to serve only specific populations.

That’s why I am writing to you today – your community needs you. Only unrestricted gifts from individuals can support housing for all of our members. Can we count on your partnership?

We have a year end goal of raising $20K to address the housing instability of justice-involved folks in Boulder County in 2024.

We plan to utilize a Peer as a Care Manager to work with members to secure and maintain housing. Tasks will include:

* Building relationships and brokering arrangements with owners of rental units.
* Working with members to analyze finances and budgeting with a plan for long-term stability.
* Advocating for more affordable and attainable housing for your justice involved neighbors.

Below you will find a compact version of Robert’s story. His path mirrors that of many of members.

Please join us in finding warm spaces for all this season.

With sincere gratitude,
Emily Kleeman, Executive Director
The Reentry Initiative

Robert’s Story:

The gentlest way to put it, is that Robert has been through the ringer for his entire life. Childhood abuse and being passed through institutions caused Robert to question his very being, even his reasons for living.

He fell onto a path of substance misuse and general deviancy to cope. “I was a pretty big, big name around here and I’m not proud of that. I never wanted to be that honestly. It just turned out to be survival mode.”

That ‘survival mode’ got Robert into a lot of trouble with the law. Like a ‘two-hundred-and-fifty-six-year sentence’ kind of trouble. Now out on probation and sober, Robert is making a lot of progress on a new path.

Recovery and rehabilitation emulate a roller coaster, and must be measured by progress over time. What matters is the space between lows and the bounce back. It takes time for people to stabilize. Bumps in the road are bound to happen.

The justice-involved population faces more barriers to living a healthy and fulfilling life especially when it comes to housing. Robert struggled with substance misuse before housing-related stressors caused him to lapse. Within 24 hours with support from his team, he entered rehab. Given the urgency of getting into treatment, Robert had to choose to leave many of his belongings behind. Resulting in having to rebuild again upon reentering the community. A common theme we see among the many members we serve.

Robert deserves a lot of respect for his perseverance in starting all over, again. He is not giving up. Will you join us to support all people along their path to recovery?

“People say that once you burn a bridge, it can’t be rebuilt. But that’s not true. We can rebuild it with new material. We can rebuild it with new love, and new hope, and new goals.” ~Robert W. Turner II