It’s not just about getting people back on their feet. It’s about economic empowerment.

When people break the law, there should be consquences. But people who commit crimes are often punished far beyond what is reasonable and just. Not only do they often spend many years in prison, which is usually a brutal and dehumanizing experience, they also face a lifetime branded as a “felon” and told by society that they can never rise above their past mistakes. We don’t think that’s fair, nor do we think that makes our society safer.

Our goal is to give returning citizens with business aptitude their personhood back. For that reason, we do not provide “handouts,” but instead a helping hand. It our deepest hope that our program recipients not only become self-sufficient, but evolve into a new generation of powerful and compassionate business leaders — who create jobs in their communities, make their world better around them, and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

Our organization is called “Monadnock Valley Group” after a reference in a literary work, in which a boy who is discouraged about his future comes across a place called “Monadnock Valley,” where he finds inspiration and “the courage to face a lifetime.”