County of Santa Clara Reentry Resource Center’s Rise Up and Run 5K
Funds raised will provide new clothes for individuals recently released from incarceration
WHAT:
The County of Santa Clara’s Office of Reentry Services invites the media to interview its Director, Javier Aguirre, and former Reentry Resource Center clients about the Center’s Second Annual Rise Up and Run 5K. This 5K run/walk raises money to purchase new clothes for individuals leaving County jails, many of whom leave custody with no home, no job, no money and only the unlaundered clothes in which they were arrested. Director Aguirre and former reentry clients will be on hand to talk about how the 5K helps raise awareness about the achievements that individuals who have been involved with the criminal justice system are capable of when they have the resources, knowledge and support they need to pursue their goals.
Members of the media will have the opportunity to photograph areas of the Reentry Resource Center, the clothes closet we hope to fill, and this year’s race poster and medals. Photographs from last year’s race will also be provided. A demonstration of the RaceJoy phone app that times the runners, provides pace information at every mile, and allows friends and family to track each other and send cheers to participants, can also be provided.
Participants can run or walk the race at the live event on October 16, 2021 at 9:30am in Hellyer County Park in San José, or on the day and time of their choice between October 16 and October 30, 2021.
Register here:
Rise Up and Run 5K
WHO:
Javier Aguirre, Director, County of Santa Clara’s Office of Reentry Services
Reentry Resource Center Former Clients
**Interviews in Spanish will be available**
WHEN:
October 14, 2021
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
WHERE:
County of Santa Clara Reentry Resource Center
151 West Mission Street, San Jose, CA 95110
WHY:
Last year’s 5K proceeds paid for 1,440 articles of clothing for reentry clients who needed them. Being freed from custody does not free many individuals from poverty, isolation, unemployment and a sense of fear and hopelessness. As part of our efforts to support some of the most vulnerable members of our community, the Reentry Resource Center and its County and community partners promote wellness and social change by helping our clients obtain jobs, housing, and healthcare; we also guide them to pursue an education, skills development, and their personal goals. Handing a clean set of clothes to someone who has lost everything and is starting all over sends the message that this County, its staff and residents think everyone matters. Individuals willing to put in the work, deserve another chance. When we as a community support dignity for all, we all rise together.
ABOUT THE REENTRY RESOURCE CENTER
The County of Santa Clara Reentry Resource Center (RRC) opened in San José in 2012 and expanded to a second location in Gilroy in 2015. The Centers strive to build safer communities by providing resources to formerly incarcerated individuals and helping them heal and reintegrate back into the community. The RRC collaborates with community-based entities and State and County Departments such as the Sheriff’s Office, Behavioral Health Services Department, Social Services Agency, Adult Probation, Office of the Public Defender, Valley Homeless Healthcare Program, Office of Supportive Housing, Office of Reentry Services, Pretrial Services, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and faith-based community partners. Representatives of these organizations and departments reside in one building and work collaboratively to provide resources and services to clients. Those services include referrals for mental health and substance use treatment, public benefit enrollment, counseling, health care, education, record expungement services, employment referrals, and housing and shelter information.
ABOUT THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA
The County of Santa Clara government serves a diverse, multi-cultural population of 1.9 million residents in Santa Clara County, California, making it more populous than 14 states in the U.S. The County provides essential services to its residents, including public health protection, environmental stewardship, medical services through the County of Santa Clara Health System, child and adult protection services, homelessness prevention and solutions, roads, park services, libraries, emergency response to disasters, protection of minority communities and those under threat, access to a fair criminal justice system, and many other public benefits.
Visit the County of Santa Clara at: https://www.sccgov.org
Like us on Facebook: http://Facebook.com/County.of.Santa.Clara/
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/sccgov
Media Contacts: María Leticia Gómez, Office of Communications and Public Affairs, (408) 299-5119, [email protected]; Lynn Madden, Office of Reentry Services, (408) 535-4277