Gatekeepers

🍓🍓🍓ATTENTION: WOMENS GROUP PICNIC WILL HAPPEN RAIN OR SHINE TOMORROW 6/18

Our weekly women’s group is taking things outdoors to Hagerstown City Park. If you have been considering joining our cohort of women, tomorrow is the perfect day to join in fellowship. Sandwiches, fruit and cake will be provided🍓🍓🍓

Congratulations Vicki Cressell, Donell Bellamy and Carl Brown for securing employment! Getting a job is often one of the biggest milestones in the reentry journey, and we are so proud of the hard work, determination, and persistence each of them showed to get here.

We also want to thank our employment partners who continue to give individuals a fair chance. These opportunities truly change lives.

If you or someone you know is looking for work, Gatekeepers offers employment assistance Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Whether you need help with a resume, applications, interview prep, or connecting with employers, we’re here to help.

We are incredibly honored to announce that Gatekeepers has been awarded the Women’s Giving Circle Grant through the Community Foundation of Washington County Maryland Incorporated.

Gatekeepers recognizes that females face unique challenges both inside the system and during reentry. This funding will allow us to continue expanding our women’s and female juvenile programming, ensuring that more women and young girls impacted by the justice system have access to The Business of Living program.

We are deeply grateful to the Women’s Giving Circle and The Community Foundation of Washington County for believing in our mission and investing in the future of the women and girls we serve.

At Gatekeepers, our inmate mail program continues to grow every single day. Since expanding nationwide through the tablet systems inside correctional facilities, we are now receiving letters from incarcerated individuals all across the United States.

Our team works to pull resources specific to the area they are returning to and sends them a personalized reentry packet filled with support services to help them successfully transition home.

This work is changing lives, but we can’t do it alone. We are always looking for volunteers to help us respond to mail, gather resources, organize packets, and support our growing nationwide outreach efforts.

Gatekeepers went on a field trip!

Our clients, staff, and families had the opportunity to come together outside of programming to enjoy community, connection, and a well-deserved day of fun. Experiences like these remind us that reentry is also about rebuilding relationships, creating positive memories, and feeling connected to the community.

We are grateful to everyone who helped make this field trip possible and thankful for opportunities that allow the individuals we serve to experience fellowship, encouragement, and new beginnings.

Gatekeepers recently had the opportunity to visit the Maryland Correctional Institution for their first ever Reentry Resource Fair. Through our continued partnership with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Gatekeepers was able to meet one-on-one with incarcerated individuals who are expected to return home within the next 18 months.

By connecting early, we are able to discuss housing, employment, recovery support, transportation, community resources, and individualized reentry planning to help create a stronger foundation for long-term success.

A huge thank you to Karen Hays, Reentry Specialist at MCIH and RCI, for her continued support, collaboration, and commitment to helping returning citizens.

Gatekeepers is proud to partner with Lasting Change through funding awarded by the Community Foundation of Washington County Maryland Incorporated to bring our Business of Living program to the women they serve.

This partnership will allow us to provide year-round programming focused on life skills, personal growth, recovery support, and successful reintegration. Through the Business of Living curriculum, women will have the opportunity to build practical tools and develop a stronger foundation for long-term stability and independence.

We are grateful to the Community Foundation for investing in collaborative efforts that strengthen our community and create opportunity. We also appreciate our continued partnership with Lasting Change and their commitment to supporting women on their journey forward.

We’re excited to share that Lasting Change has been awarded a grant from the Community Foundation of Washington County Maryland Incorporated to partner with Gatekeepers and bring the Business of Living program to the women we serve! 💗

This funding will support the program for an entire year, giving our clients access to valuable life skills, personal development, and tools that support long-term recovery and independence.

We’re grateful for this opportunity and proud to collaborate with Gatekeepers to continue strengthening the services we provide every day.

Pictured: Grant recipients from yesterday’s reception

We’re excited to share that Gatekeepers is expanding into the Western Maryland Children’s Center!

WMCC is a secure detention facility that serves youth from across the region many of whom are facing challenges related to limited access to resources. By returning to this space, Gatekeepers is able to meet young women where they are and provide support at a critical point in their lives.

Through our Business of Living program, we’ll be offering real-world tools to help prepare them for a successful future.

Research shows that early intervention and consistent support can significantly improve long-term outcomes for justice-involved youth and that’s exactly where we’re focused.

This week, we’d like to take time to recognize the voices of those impacted by crime. At Gatekeepers, we recognize that healing, accountability, and second chances must all exist together.

We stand with victims, survivors, and their families acknowledging their pain, their strength, and their right to be heard and supported.

At the same time, we remain committed to breaking cycles of harm by helping returning citizens rebuild their lives with. Safer communities are created when we invest in both healing for victims and transformation for those who have caused harm.

This week and every week, we commit to:
• Supporting victims with compassion and dignity
• Promoting accountability and restoration
• Creating pathways that prevent future harm

We want to thank the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for including Gatekeepers in yesterday’s Reentry Resource Fair at the Eastern Correctional Institution.

It was an incredible opportunity for our Baltimore field office to connect directly with individuals preparing to return home. Gatekeepers meets people where they are and help them see what’s possible on the other side.

We’re grateful to be part of this work and to partner with organizations that are committed to second chances and stronger communities.