CFCC Awarded Department of Labor Grant
Wilmington, NC – Cape Fear Community College has been awarded a nearly $4 million grant to provide educational services for area prisoners and those recently released from incarceration. The Pathway Home Project will serve approximately 400 participants as they transition from incarceration to productive citizenship.
“We want to meet students wherever they are and help them take the next positive step,” said CFCC President Jim Morton. “We are so grateful to have been awarded this grant because this program will help members of our community make positive changes that will impact their families and our entire community when they are released. This project will help stop the cycle of recidivism in the Cape Fear region.”
The Pathway Home Project will be a collaborative community effort involving agencies in New Hanover and Pender counties that already serve this population. The grant will allow these agencies to join forces with Cape Fear Community College to provide a continuum of training and support services to individuals before and immediately following release from incarceration. CFCC will offer training services and collaborate with transitional housing and case management services to create a streamlined approach that will support incarcerated individuals as they transition home and build sustainable, independent, and productive lifestyles.
One of the non-profits partnering with Cape Fear Community College on this initiative is Leading Into New Communities, Inc. (LINC). For over 20 years, LINC has provided reentry services for incarcerated people.
“Our partnership with LINC is critical to the success of the Pathway Home Project,” said Erica Talbert, Associate Vice President of Economic and Workforce Training at CFCC. “Their experience in this field will help us position the grant resources exactly where they need to be to make the most impact. Their partnership in this effort will help us build upon the great work they have done for the past two decades and to expand services to those who need it most.”
LINC and CFCC will collaborate to ensure successful reentry and provide the counseling and skills training necessary for individuals to become self-sufficient.
Frankie Roberts, Executive Director of LINC, is excited about the opportunities the Pathway Home Project will provide. “Our work is about turning setbacks into comebacks,” said Roberts. “Our partnership with CFCC means we can change lives through training that helps individuals earn credentials that qualify them for high-demand jobs. This partnership exemplifies what true collaboration looks like. Together with Cape Fear Community College, we are a dream team! With so many people coming out of prison during and after the pandemic, more people need this help than ever. Wilmington has a service-oriented economy, so many people who have been incarcerated come to our area to get entry-level jobs. Pathway Home will help people train for sustainable careers they can really enjoy.”
“This effort is supported by state and local law enforcement agencies, the Cape Fear Workforce Development Board/NC Works, and area employers T.A. Woods, Premier Electrical Staffing, and David Porter Trucking. Many hours went into this grant application, and we are grateful to all who endorsed our efforts and helped make this grant award possible,” said Morton. “Together, we will create a pathway to success for those whose options have been severely limited.”
