Homecoming Fund for Ethan

Ethan Pack is a 60-year-old musician, born in Brooklyn but raised in Queens, and is finally coming home after twelve years of incarceration in New York state prisons. Since June, we (Justin & Celine) have had the pleasure of working with Ethan through NYU’s Ending the Prison Industrial Complex’s (EPIC) Parole Advocacy program. Over these months, we have been privileged to experience Ethan’s gracious thoughtfulness, revel in his extensive knowledge of jazz music, and bear witness to his stories and his dreams.

All the funds you contribute will directly support Mr. Pack with some immediate needs upon his release in February 2022. These include housing, utilities, home furnishings, clothes/shoes, transportation costs, food, personal hygiene items, as well as a cell phone and laptop to help him get settled, find stable housing and employment, and turn a new page.

“My relapses don’t land me in treatment centers; they land me in prison.”

Coming from a family with substance abuse problems, Ethan has struggled with sobriety for much of his life. While incarcerated, Ethan has found the practices, structures, and networks necessary to lead his life happily and substance-free—and now helps others in their journeys. Ethan has served as a leader in a voluntary substance abuse treatment program and has helped mentor other men in learning to communicate frustrations and feelings. Ethan was also certified and served as a mobility and suite guide for inmates with disabilities.

Now in his 60s, Ethan is looking forward to the future. He hopes to take up his former job of commercial truck driving and settle down somewhere peaceful where he can practice his saxophone (which he taught himself!) without disturbing his neighbors. His lifelong friends and community are eager to receive him—including a lifelong friend’s niece now all grown up eager for a chess rematch.

We are so lucky to have been able to get to know Ethan, and we hope you join us in our excitement in preparing Ethan for his release. Any contribution is welcome and greatly appreciated.