The Fortune Society Hosts 'Hope & Justice Gala'

The Fortune Society, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit reentry service and advocacy organizations serving thousands of justice-involved individuals every year, hosted its annual Hope and Justice Gala on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. at Gotham Hall in Manhattan. The event raised a record-breaking $1.67 million to support Fortune’s vast array of services that support reentry and promote alternatives to incarceration.

Honored for their commitment to justice reform and advocating for those with justice involvement were:

Joshua L. Steiner, Co-Chairman of the Board of Castleton Commodities and a Senior Adviser at Bloomberg L.P.; Nancy Lopez, The Fortune Society’s Director of Admissions: and Stanley Richards, Fortune’s Executive Vice President.

As recipient of the Game Changer Award, Mr. Steiner was honored for his long-standing support of The Fortune Society. At Bloomberg, he worked closely with a dedicated group of colleagues to design and implement an innovative fellowship program, offering a pathway to long-term employment and sustainable income for individuals with incarceration histories. In 2018, 19 Bloomberg Fortune Fellows graduated from the program after having worked in one of seven units within Bloomberg L.P. Since its launch, 40 Fortune clients have participated in the program and 94% have secured sustainable employment or education within three months of completing the program.

Michael R. Bloomberg, Founder, Bloomberg L.P. & Bloomberg Philanthropies and 108th Mayor of New York City, presented the award to Mr. Steiner and said, “Josh Steiner understands that there is more to business success than just numbers and a PowerPoint. Ultimately, business success is about people – and human connections. As a result of this program Bloomberg is a better community – and it’s also a stronger business. On behalf of everyone at Bloomberg, I want to thank Josh for all he has done. We hope that his success will encourage other companies to start similar programs that break down barriers and put people’s talents to work.”

Latoya Shavers, a Fortune participant who successfully completed the Bloomberg Fellowship, said the program put her life back on the right track. The Fortune Bloomberg team encouraged her to apply for any position for which she was qualified. On October 28, 2019, she proudly became a permanent City employee with the New York City Dept of Housing, Preservation and Development.

Shavers said, “I have let go of the embarrassment and shame that I carried about my conviction. I am living proof of what can happen if you offer someone another chance.”

In recognition for mentoring countless individuals and empowering them to transform their lives over her 30-year career, Ms. Lopez was presented with Fortune’s Reentry Champion Award. In recounting her reentry story after receiving a 4 years-to-life sentence in the 1980s under the harsh Rockefeller Drug Laws, Lopez recalled being terrified that no one would ever hire her. She applied for a job as an Administrative Assistant at “a place called The Fortune Society” and was the very first person ever hired by the organization’s President and CEO JoAnne Page – a badge of honor she carries to this day.

The Changing Minds, Building Lives Award was presented to Mr. Richards for his tireless service to Fortune, his leadership at the David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy, and his extraordinary advocacy on myriad issues, including closing Rikers Island. A formerly incarcerated man of color with decades of experience in the criminal justice field, Stanley was honored by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change for his commitment to helping individuals impacted by the justice system. In addition to serving on numerous prestigious committees and boards, he is also Vice Chair of the NYC Board of Correction, a regulatory oversight body for setting minimum standards of care, custody and control of people incarcerated in New York City jails.

In accepting his award, Mr. Richards said, “This award acknowledges the privilege I have had over the last 30 years. The privilege to share the beauty I see with others; the love expressed and given to me, that I now give and share with others; the hope expressed to me, and that I now express to others; and finally, the awesome opportunity to work at The Fortune Society creating a world where the actualization of hope, justice, love, redemption, and opportunity is central in every interaction.”

JoAnne Page, President and CEO of The Fortune Society, added, “Our honorees – Josh Steiner, Nancy Lopez and Stanley Richards – are tireless advocates and strong voices for fairness, equity and meaningful reform. Collectively, they have expanded opportunities for hope and justice to thousands of people served by The Fortune Society every year. I am proud to stand with them here tonight and to honor them with with Fortune’s highest awards.”

The funds raised at Hope and Justice Gala will support Fortune’s holistic and integrated “one-stop-shopping” model of service provision. Among the services offered are discharge planning, licensed outpatient substance abuse and mental health treatment, alternatives to incarceration, HIV/AIDS services, career development and job retention, education, family services, drop in services, supportive housing, and a lifetime access to aftercare.

Serving as Gala Chairs were Jurate Kazickas and Roger Altman; Bloomberg Philanthropies; Andreas C. Dracopoulos and Stavros Niarchos Foundation; Eva and Glenn Dubin; Catie and Don Marron; and Antoinette Delruelle and Joshua L. Steiner.

# # #

ABOUT THE FORTUNE SOCIETY: Founded in 1967, The Fortune Society has advocated on criminal justice issues for over five decades and is nationally recognized for developing model programs that help people with criminal justice histories to be assets to their communities. Fortune offers a holistic and integrated “one-stop-shopping” model of service provision. Among the services offered are discharge planning, licensed outpatient substance abuse and mental health treatment, alternatives to incarceration, HIV/AIDS services, career development and job retention, education, family services, drop in services and supportive housing as well as lifetime access to aftercare. For more information, visit www.fortunesociety.org.