Dear Friends,

February 2009 marked the Tenth Anniversary for the Fund for Community Leadership Development, Inc.’s (FCLD), a 501c(3) non-profit organization, Project Uth Turn. In 1999, New York Theological Seminary and FCLD, supported by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and the Ford Foundation, FCLD, Inc., launched Project Uth Turn. Uth Turn is a collaboration of churches, criminal justice partners and service agencies. Our mission is to provide early intervention to a young urban population, male and female, ages 13-21. We work with street youth, gang members and young people with pending or prior conflicts with the law by providing case management, counseling/mentoring, leadership training, educational and job preparation, and employment and social services referrals. Since 1999, Uth Turn has served several thousand young people and as an Alternative to Detention Program, Uth Turn has a 93% success rate, and only 7% of our participants recidivate. During this period of severe economic challenges, the annual costs per Uth Turn participant is $2.53 per day!

There are still thousands of youth who are in need of critical intervention. Everyday we meet young people whose futures are on the line. We have developed this program to combine the gifts, talents and experiences of community residents, who have partnered with Uth Turn to rescue and change the course of the lives of these young people. Your support and contributions are the keys to the success of this program. Won't you join us in this rewarding work by sending your donations, and give our young people a chance to turn their lives around?

Thank you for your much needed support and consideration.
Sincerely,

Click here for bio
Chief Executive Officer
T. (212) 870-1234
F. (212) 870-1244
E-mail: cvmason@nyts.edu