What's New at VSC

JOB OPENING - VSC Executive Director

NEW..One day volunteer opportunity

Would you like to find out more about what it is like to work with an inmate population? Spend part of a day with us and learn more.

e are offering a new opportunity for you to get to know us and our work. We invite anyone interested to spend part of a day with us and find out what we do. During that day, you will:

• See our office and get acquainted with our overall operation
• Handle inmate requests which come to us by telephone, letter and our request forms
• Have a meeting with a full time staff member to earn more about VSC and why we do what we do
• Go to the visitor line at the jail with a VSC staff member to talk with visitors and provide information on VSC

To arrange your one day visit, please call Betty Gatewood or Ann Keep at 202=544-2131

On June 6, 2011, the VSC Board of Directors sponsored our 5th annual awards celebration. Our event was held at Covington and Burling.

Mayor Vincent Gray was our featured speaker and our award presenter to the following honorees.

Thomas Penny III
Recognizing Your Untiring Civic Leadership, Especially Your Work to Enhance Employment Opportunities and Training for Those Most in Need

Thomas Penny rose from a 17-year old dishwasher at a local hotel to his current role as General Manager of the Courtyard Marriott/Convention Center and a leader in the District's Hospitality Industry. He remained deeply involved as a civic leader in many endeavors, being active in numerous area Boards, including SOME, Howard University School of Business Hospitality Program, and the Hospitality High School of Washington. VSC especially honors him for his commitment to providing second chances for citizens coming home from jail.

Emily F. Durso
Recognizing Your Years of Untiring Civic Leadership, Especially Your Work in the Business Community to Enhance Workforce Development

Emily Durso, especially in her role as executive director of the Hotel Association of Washington, DC, has been a model of vigorous civic leadership. She was instrumental in engaging the Hotel Association and a number of non-profit boards on which she serves in a variety of civic projects that affected for the better the quality of life and public safety for residents of the District. VSC especially honors her for her dedicated assistance to the Metropolitan Police Department and for her untiring efforts to improve adult workforce development opportunities in our city.

Amin H. Muslim
Recognizing Your Re-entry Success Story Against Great Odds, Especially Your Leadership Helping Men Become Responsible and Loving Fathers

Amin Muslim is a model for our community of the regenerative human spirit, displaying hope and generosity in the face of adversity. After serving a number of years in confinement, during which he lost his parents and a brother and became divorced, Mr. Muslim has pursued a degree at Georgetown University and has worked with passion and savvy in the area of adult and youth transitional services. He has held several positions of community leadership and is currently the director of constituent services for Council Member Yvette Alexander.

Reverend Betty McNeil-Green
Recognizing Your Dedicated Efforts Helping Prisoners Help Themselves through Your Leadership of the Jail's LINCS and Chaplaincy Programs

Reverend Betty McNeil-Green is a model of both dedication and creativity as a public servant. Betty wears many hats in her role as chaplain and coordinator of religious and volunteer services at the D.C. Jail. She has shepherded the LINCS program's efforts to bring local businesses and non-profits into the Jail to assist prisoners with job readiness skills prior to their return to the community. VSC especially appreciates her work in helping bridge the gap between community agencies and the Jail's prisoners and their families.

From left to right in the photograph below are the following:

DC Council Member Yvette Alexander, Thomas Penny III, Amin Muslim, Emily Durso, Rev. Betty McNeil-Green, VSC Board President Rainey Brandt and Mayor Vincent Gray.

We thank our many sponsors including Walmart, Covington and Burling, Arnold and Porter, CCA, Hope Village, Bravery Corporation/Max Brown, the National Capital Bank, the GEO Group, Marriott International, Management and Training Corporation and Reverend John M. Graham.

We are grateful to Covington and Burling, for again hosting this event. We are grateful as well to Fresh Start/DC Central Kitchen for providing catering services. DC Central kitchen is one of our partners and offers culinary training to men and women upon release from jail.

The essential piece of the puzzle...

The VSC staff continues to use "the essential piece of the puzzle..." as our theme for our work. We adopted this theme last year because of its story line and how it connects to the work that we do. The theme recognizes the role that each of us plays in our efforts to help inmates from day one of incarceration through release as these men and women return to a community we all share. The story line is as follows:

Isn't it a wonderful thing
that we are all different?
Each of us has strengths
and skills to share
And when we link
our individual strengths together
we are invincible

Can't imagine us without you!

Copyright © 2003-2011 Visitors' Services Center.Last updated July 2011.