Page 52 - BusinessWest February 21, 2022

lasting change for people like Paplardo and Harper is securing employment opportunities, said Judd, adding that the Roca offices in Springfield and Holyoke work with a number of area employers to create such opportunities, and anticipate working with more as the workforce crisis in the region
“We have a young population, young adults and juveniles in this region that need a lot of help. And we are not going to incarcerate our way out of the problems we have in cities like Spring”field, Holyoke, and elsewhere.
continues.
Many of them, like J. Polep in Chicopee and
Meredith Springfield, have hired several Roca participants over the years and have had good success, in part because the program strives
to prepare these people for the world of work, stressing the importance of both hard and soft skills, starting with showing up on time, ready to work.
Evelyn Arroyo, a recruitment and retention specialist at Meredith Springfield, agreed. She said the company currently has two Roca graduates currently working as inspector/packers.
“What I like about Roca is that it’s there to not
only advocate for these men, but to support them and prepare them for
the workforce,” she explained. “They prepare them for what to expect in
an interview and what do expect on the job. And, for the most part, those they refer to us are better- prepared than other individuals.”
Golden agreed. “Roca has an approach like no other,” she
told BusinessWest.
“It works to set up
the participants for success long-term.”
Taking the Lead
Summing up Roca and its impact within the region, Gulluni said it is meeting a critical need at a critical time.
“We have a young population, young adults and juveniles in this region that need a lot of help,”
he noted. “And we are not going to incarcerate our way out of the problems we have in cities like Springfield, Holyoke, and elsewhere. We need organizations and leaders to think creatively and put forth the effort and work to help young people find themselves through so many challenges.”
Roca is an organization that has become a leader in these ongoing efforts to provide that
Roca’s official mission is to “disrupt the cycle of incarceration and poverty by helping people transform their lives,” and it does this through an intense program of intervention.
needed help. The numbers listed above regarding everything from recidivism to job placement show that Roca is clearly making a difference.
But it’s stories like Trevor Gayle’s that rise above the statistics. As he said, the program has gone beyond keeping him out of trouble and in a good job. It has shown him how to be his own leader, and as a result, he has been able to change his life in profound ways. u
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
CHICOPEE INDUSTRIAL CONTRACTORS
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Difference maker
[dif-er-uhns mey-ker] Noun
A dedicated person who can make a big impact even with a small action ... one who can encourages others to propel them- selves forward and bring about change.
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I Found Light Against All Odds and its Founder and CEO, Stefan Davis
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