The OICA team visited the auditorium in Rocky Mount where Dr. Martin Luther King gave the original “I have a dream” address. The below article gives historical background on his visit to Rocky Mount.
By Michael Hill
Research Branch, NC Office of Archives and History, 2006
https://www.ncdcr.gov/about/history/division-historical-resources/nc-highway-historical-marker-program
OIC of America visited OIC of Wilson to learn about how they’re providing skills training and implemented SOAR to help North Carolina’s returning citizens. The OIC of America team was treated to unrivaled southern hospitality and a host of promising practices to bring to the network.
Last year, Rosemary Anderson received a generous $100,000 grant from Intel as part of the She Will Connect initiative, solidifying efforts to get more girls interested in STEM fields. The year-long project culminated in a hugely successful Tech/STEM Fair in January. Students and staff hosted 250 guests, including Intel representatives and POIC Board members, and three hard-working scholars received laptops for having the most impressive exhibits. Way to go, RAMS!
All, some exciting news!
In case you didn’t receive or may have missed this important Executive Leadership Announcement, Judge Reneé Caldwell Hughes, who served on the Philadelphia bench for 15 years before moving on to serve in the role as President and CEO of the Regional Red Cross, has joined the Philadelphia OIC organization as it’s new President and CEO. Please join me in welcoming Reneé to the OIC family. The press release announcement is below.
Also of note, I think it is important that we also give praise and our appreciation to Charles Crumbley, Philadelphia OIC’s former Interim President and CEO, for a job well done. Charles faithfully served in this capacity for 19 months as they conducted their executive search. We wish Charles and his family all the best and thank him for his service to OIC.
James Haynes, OICA President and CEO
Elton Jolly was one of the original members of the OIC movement with Dr. Leon H. Sullivan. Elton’s impact helped shaped OIC into the powerhouse of an organization that it would become and is still impacting lives in a positive way some 55 years later in 2019. Given Elton’s impact on OIC in the formative years, I thought it important to share with you an excerpt from his testimony before the House of Representatives in 1978 to give you some insights into his thinking regarding poor people in this country and what was needed to improve their situation and the role OIC would play.
On Friday, August 30th, President and Board Chair, James Haynes, and OICA Celebrity Ambassador, Gerald Alston, had the pleasure of interviewing with Patty Jackson of WDAS to discuss the program and much more.
ROGER A. MITCHELL, JR. MD
Dr. Mitchell is a board-certified Forensic Pathologist and serves as the Chief Medical Examiner of Washington DC. He is a world leader in forensic medicine. He has lectured in places like Bangladesh, Mumbai, Belize City, and Cairo. He is a leader in the fight against gun violence and recently appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe discussing gun violence as a public health issue. Dr. Mitchell is a licensed minister at New Bethel Baptist Church in Washington DC where he has the great privilege of serving Returning Citizens and their families as the Phoenix Minister.
Gerald Alston, the revered lead singer for the Grammy Award-winning R&B group the Manhattans, is the first entertainer to become a part of the new OICA Celebrity Ambassador Program(CAP). OICA Celebrity Ambassadors are leaders in the entertainment industry, representing the fields of film, television, music, sports and beyond.
The program is designed to help raise awareness about OICA/OIC and the work being done to support and enable the economically disadvantaged, unemployed and under-employed people of all races and backgrounds to become productive, more fulfilled members of society. This work is being done through a Network of 35 Affiliates located in 22 states around the US. The organization’s motto is “Helping People Help Themselves “and Gerald Alston is a huge advocate of helping others to reach their full potential.
Date: July 3, 2019
SOAR program expands from eleven to twelve affiliates and program partners in seven states
Philadelphia, PA – OIC of America (OICA) was awarded a new three-year U.S. DOL Reentry Grant totaling $4,500.000 which will expand its SOAR program. Starting July 1, 2019, this grant will serve adults 25 years of age and older. This represents a total of 5 grants awarded to OICA as an intermediary in the past three years, bringing their U.S. DOL Reentry total awards to $22.2 million dollars and more importantly serving approximately 3000 returning citizens. This award allowed OICA to expand their current program from eleven Affiliates and program partners to twelve, covering six states, which is 32% of their affiliate network, and 27% of their current U.S. state coverage.
Gerald Alston Celebrity Ambassador Promotional Video
