Q4 2021 Newsletter

Hello Good Callers!

The last time we emailed you, we spoke about the new campaign and what it meant for us as an organization and using it as a guiding light to disperse resources throughout the city and provide support to fellow organizations within the movement. Since then, we have continued to advocate for Early Legal Intervention, signed on to various campaigns, and had the opportunity to speak with different legislators in New York State.

Closing Riker Island

Rikers Island should have been closed a long time ago. It has no place in a city that values equity and human rights - today, it is a place where people are being kept in pens without beds, forced to go to the bathroom on the floor, fighting over food which is currently being rationed at one meal a day, rampant Covid-19 transmissions-- just completely horrific. It’s isolated from the rest of the city on an island composed largely of landfills, where people are caged in torturous conditions.

• Since the beginning of the year, 14 people have died on the Island, the highest death toll in years. Recently, organizations and advocates have launched a renewed call to close its facilities and we answered the call and are asking you to do the same by supporting the Freedom Agenda’s Campaign to close Rikers here.

• Good Call Signed on to the Beyond Rosie Campaign to close the Rose M. Singer center, the only female jail on Rikers Island with a little over 300 people. When a woman is incarcerated her whole community feels the impact, from her children to her employer. Simply put, people do better and are more stable in their life when they have housing and their needs met. If a woman must be detained, it should be in a trauma-informed, trauma-responsive, gender-specific facility that seeks to heal and support instead of harm and punishment. Learn more here.

Fundraising/Grants

Ashoka

A big congratulations to our CEO Jelani Anglin for becoming an Ashoka Fellow.

Ashoka is a global association of world-leading entrepreneurs, with system-changing solutions for the world's most urgent societal problems.

Since 1981, they have selected more than 4,000 leading social entrepreneurs as Fellows, providing them with a financial stipend, professional support, and access to a global network of peers from more than 90 countries.

Jordan Announcement

Basketball is more than just a game for many people. It's an outlet, a place to belong, and a place to dream. That is why we are proud to announce a partnership with The Michael Jordan Foundation, a community grants organization for social organizations helping Black communities. Through this foundation, the company will offer assistance to social organizations to meet objectives in combating issues that plague Black communities.

Brooklyn Community Foundation Spark Prize Finalist

Good Call is one of 20 finalists for the Brooklyn Community Foundation Spark Prize. Created in 2015, the SPARK Prize is the only award of its kind honoring long-standing nonprofits that have “sparked change” across Brooklyn. Good Call was selected based on four different criteria: commitment to equity and racial justice, track record of impact in Brooklyn, strong institutional values, and a dynamic vision for the future of their organization. Each of the 20 finalists will also receive a $5,000 donation match from the Brooklyn Community Foundation during the #BrooklynGives on Giving Tuesday campaign. Donate here!

Press/Media

This month, our CEO, Jelani Anglin was featured on the cover of USA today!!! The article highlighted his own take on Social Media and how it can be used as a tool to highlight unfair police practices that have been kept hidden for decades. Check out the full article here! Backstage Podcast

Our Co-founders, CEO Jelani Anglin, and CPO Gabe Leader Rose appeared on the Backstage podcast, an interview podcast navigating the individual stories and current events that make up Black American culture. Take a listen here!

Partnerships/Outreach Events

Good Call Is always looking for new opportunities to engage with the community. We strive to inform as many people as possible about the hotline and the benefits of Early Legal Intervention, through community partnerships, tabling events, and canvassing. Check out some of the partnerships & sponsorships below!

St. Nicholas Houses LocalNeighborhoodSTAT Event

Southeast Queens Chamber of Commerce Black Owned Business Expo

Bushwick Houses LocalNeighborhoodSTAT Event

St. Nicholas Houses Local Neighborhood STAT Event

Youth Justice & More

This month, we partnered with the People’s United Bank to provide a two-part Financial Literacy Workshop for our youth. Financial Literacy is a crucial empowerment tool for the youth. The 2014 Organization for Economic Co‑operation and Development surveyed 15-year-olds and found that 18 percent of respondents did not learn fundamental financial skills that are often applied in everyday situations. The workshops encompass the difference between Checkings and Savings accounts, explaining what credit is and how it affects what you can buy, different ways to pay off debt, and more. We want to give our interns and alumni the opportunity to prepare for their future and financial literacy is only the beginning.

TechFIN Computer Donations
This holiday season, we want to thank our loyal supporters by providing them and their families with tech access. Good Call is partnering with TechFin and joining its efforts to close the current digital divide in marginalized communities. We have teamed up with TechFIN, whose mission is to close the digital divide by providing resourced computers to families in need, and identified 50 families that may benefit from this partnership. More information will be shared later.

Thank you for your continued support as we continue to protect the rights of New Yorkers around the 5 boroughs.

**Good Call is a community-centered, 501c3 tech nonprofit focused on providing early legal intervention for those arrested. If you would like to support our work via a tax-deductible donation, select the button at the top right corner of the page.