On the Road to Justice

NAC and the Good Shepherd Partner Agencies
One of NAC’s strength’s as an advocacy organization is its connection with Good Shepherd partner agencies working in the field.  They offer us on-the-ground information about the needs of their clients - the people whose voices we want heard on Capitol Hill - and they provide examples of best practices for direct service efforts.

With that in mind, we are highlighting the national network of Good Shepherd agencies that are on the Road to Justice with their clients and are making differences that can be replicated in other cities and towns across the country.  These agencies are aligned with the Congregation’s core values of Individual Worth, Mercy, Reconciliation and Zeal – values that infuse the way the agencies go about meeting needs in their local communities.

Good Shepherd Services New York

The Road to Justice runs through the streets of New York City thanks to Good Shepherd Services New York. No one is expendable; no one is forgotten; no one is given up on. GSS-NY sees what can be and proceeds to make it reality with the support, assistance and vision of community members themselves.

An inescapable and tragic part of American society for the past few decades has been gun violence. One piece to finding peace is Good Shepherd Services’ Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.) program.

B.R.A.G.’s program staff help reduce gun violence by identifying youth at risk for retaliatory violence, working with victims and their families and friends to help prevent future violence, and providing linkages to resources and follow-up services to patient participants. Additionally, B.R.A.G. mobilizes community residents and organizations through community events to raise awareness about violence and its larger impact, and to promote community norms that embrace non-violence.

B.R.A.G. staff includes violence interrupters who are credible messengers in the community who have themselves experienced violence. They work with young people ages 16 to 25, community organizations, and the public.

A strong, connected community can offer the safety, mentorship, and pride that bolster young people along their path to success. But in many of the neighborhoods Good Shepherd Services New York supports, the challenges that often accompany poverty – including high unemployment, low-wage jobs, crime, and incarceration – stand in the way of this potential.

Good Shepherd Services New York works in partnership with local leaders, volunteers, and businesses to address local challenges and support young people.

See and share our complete information sheet on Good Shepherd Services
New York (GSSNY).

Maryhurst

In Kentucky, because of limited Medicaid coverage, Maryhurst – an affiliated Good Shepherd agency – wrestles with the costs of providing treatment and preventative care to children and families dealing with trauma and abuse. Micah Jorrisch, vice president of external relations at Maryhurst, explains, "Kentucky Medicaid rates only cover about 75% of the cost of care to provide excellent community-based services for youth and families with complex needs. Tacking on the overhead and administrative costs that it takes to simply run a business, this is completely unsustainable in the long term."

Stressing the need to expand Medicaid, Micah notes, “We have got to reevaluate how we fund and sustain critical services like those we provide at Maryhurst. These programs work and are critical to disrupting the silent epidemic of abuse and neglect that plagues our communities.”

Good Shepherd Services Atlanta

Stereotypes are not necessarily accurate. And they can breed resentment, mistrust, hatred. When Sr. Christine Truong, RGS, arrived in Atlanta in 1993, she discovered an increasing number of impoverished and vulnerable immigrants and refugees from Asia who were adrift in a world where few spoke their language.
 
Today, Good Shepherd Services Atlanta (GSSA) reaches out to the poor, counsels families and youths at risk, offers translations, conducts citizenship classes, promotes cultural enrichment, and provides elderly services.
 
The staff serves refugees and immigrants experiencing psychological, social, legal, and family difficulties and, through prevention, intervention, outreach, and community building, the staff helps these men, women and children achieve self-reliance and become contributing members of American society.
 
In the process, GSSA has developed a good relationship with immigration offices and the police department. The police know of GSSA and they know Sr. Christine.
 
Good Shepherd Services Atlanta adroitly adapts to the changing needs of its community members. And since COVID-19, the Asian community of Atlanta has seen increasing numbers of racially motivated verbal attacks and physical assaults.
 
Most of the Asians being targeted are the most vulnerable. They are poor, uneducated, and new to the United States. They cannot speak English well enough to respond and don’t understand the system to seek intervention.

GSSA’s emphasis on the individual and his or her needs puts these new immigrants and refugees first. Services include immigration services, professional counseling, DUI programming, domestic violence intervention and anger management programs, translation services, citizenship prep classes, child care classes, public assistance support, summer programming for children, community services, and more. Whatever is needed.
 
Good Shepherd Services Atlanta serves refugees and immigrants regardless of ethnicity, gender or religious belief - providing programs that bring hope, restore dignity, and improve their quality of life.

See and share our complete information sheet on Good Shepherd Services Atlanta (GSSA).

CORA Services

CORA Services, Inc. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is rooted in the Good Shepherd tradition of care and compassion, the mission of CORA Services is to assist children, youth and families experiencing emotional, academic and social challenges which impede their development and productivity.  A private, not-for-profit organization, CORA provides an array of comprehensive professional services focused on prevention, intervention, remediation and referral assistance. “CORA” in fact is an acronym for “Counseling Or Referral Assistance.” For CORA, children are at the heart of the matter; if CORA cannot fill a child’s unmet need, the organization will help individuals and families to find the help they need.

Society right now is searching for alternatives to armed police in its pursuit of community welfare and well-being.  CORA is on the Road to Justice with its clients and is making a difference that can be replicated in other cities. In this particular moment for our country we spotlight CORA’s Intensive Prevention Services (IPS).  The IPS program seeks to identify and serve youth at higher risk for truancy/dropout, delinquency and other potential challenges that could impact the family and community.

IPS is just one way that CORA works to meet vulnerable youth where they are and provide them with the tools they need to succeed and thrive.  Working in partnership with the Department of Human Services, Philadelphia’s police force and other local agencies, CORA demonstrates the difference an engaged community can make in the lives of those on the margin.

See and share our complete information sheet on CORA.