Welcome Home Rodney After 40 Years

Our dear friend Rodney Bailey is finally coming home after 40 years in prison. He is set to be released mid January 2021. Rodney is 60 years old and has been incarcerated since he was 21. He’s a truly amazing person and his family could not be more excited to welcome him back. We have been working with Rodney through the Parole Preparation Project and are urgently asking that you consider donating to ensure his safety and wellbeing during this period of transition and adjustment, one we hope can also be a time of celebration. We are doing this fundraiser, so his family can focus on other preparations. 


Rodney is a kind and joyful individual who is incredibly resilient. However, reentry in New York City is immensely difficult, especially in the middle of an ongoing pandemic. Rodney does not yet have stable housing and social services will take time to be approved and are an uphill battle for formerly incarcerated people. While he has a large and supportive family, most of them are located in Virginia where he’d like to transfer his parole case. However, he likely can’t do so another year. We want to welcome Rodney home to his new life with as much love, support, and ease as possible, especially after all the hardship he has endured in prison during the outbreak of COVID-19. 


We want to ease Rodney’s transition as much as possible, as he deserves to have time to enjoy his new life without facing increased risk of contracting COVID or entering the shelter system. We’re hoping he can spend as much time this first year focusing on his transition, spending time with family, and securing his transfer to Virginia. 


We are asking for help to welcome Rodney home with the security and safety he deserves — this includes stable housing, money for his medications, a cell phone, metro card, new clothes for both winter and summer months, grocery money, and money to cover any unanticipated expenses. To do this, we want to provide Rodney a financial buffer for his return so he can secure these necessities and begin to build a life for himself. Every cent will go directly to Rodney. 


Thank you so much for your help. Anything you can give will be greatly appreciated. Our most pressing concern is raising enough to keep Rodney out of the shelter system, but we will need your help. If you can, please share this widely so we can reach our goal before the January 15th deadline!

xo

Chloe, Neo, Milo