Ceda Support Letter Re-entry Open 10 20 08 5.20pm

October 20, 2008 Name

Dear M .___________________, On behalf of ___________________________________I would like to express our strong support for the Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative application being submitted by Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, Inc. (CEDA) and their Community and Faith collaborating organizations. These organizations represent a broad cross section of Cook County – H.E. Lane Center for Positive Change of Evanston, Quinn Chapel AME, The Renaissance Collaborative (TRC) and Third Baptist Church of Chicago. CEDA, which is the largest Community Based Organization in the Nation, has been providing a wide array of services to Cook County residents for the past 43 years. They currently offer over 30 social service programs in areas related to child and family development, ex-offenders, health and nutrition services, senior citizen programs, economic development, employment and job training, housing, educational services and community development. The collaborating community and faith organizations provide a wide array of support for ex-offenders and others ranging from permanent housing, first class instruction facilities, substance abuse counseling, advocacy for ex-offenders, expungement services, job readiness and retention support, health and wellness support, employment and training and experience in developing and managing social enterprises. This collaboration’s dedication and main focus has always been to provide services that will allow individuals and families in becoming economically self-sufficient. As this particular project is designed to assist ex-offenders as they transition back into their communities, we feel that these collaborating faith and community organizations are well suited to secure funding under this grant opportunity to support this crucial, worthwhile initiative.

Sincerely,

Name