Leading Into New Communities (LINC), Inc. will travel to Milwaukee in February for the “Growing Your Community Food Systems ‘From the Ground Up’ Workshops” hosted by Growing Power.

Growing Power is a national nonprofit organization and land trust that provides training, demonstration, outreach and education towards providing equal access to healthy and affordable foods for people in all communities. The workshops will prepare LINC, Inc. to create Community Food Systems in Wilmington, NC that help people grow, process, market and distribute food in an equitable and sustainable manner.

LINC, Inc. staff will return with a plan to use the new knowledge towards growing food for residents of M.E. Roberts Transitional Living Facilities, providing employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for individuals returning from incarceration and making healthy, locally grown produce available to Wilmington’s inner city.

For more information or to become involved, visit www.lincnc.org or call (910) 762-4635. Read the Press Release
 

LINC, Inc. hosted a Super Bowl party for its residents with food donations from Flaming Amy's Burrito Barn and Katy's Grill and Bar. The support of these local businesses is greatly appreciated and is an example of local businesses coming together to support non-profit organizations in Wilmington, NC. The Super Bowl party proved to be an exciting and enjoyable pro-social activity for all.

Thanks to all of our Donors! Please support those that support us!
 

               Leading Into New Communities (LINC), Inc. introduces the New Workforce Center, a one-stop center where individuals returning from incarceration can receive valuable services towards successful reentry to community.    Since 2000, LINC, Inc. has supported approximately 1,300 persons reentering community to obtain employment and remain drug and crime free in New Hanover County.  Over the past seven years, LINC, Inc.’s operations have focused primarily on male residents in the M.E. Roberts Transitional Living Facility.  As of January 1, 2012, LINC, Inc. has increased its capacity to serve walk-in clients with the same New Workforce Program.  Anyone recently released from jail or prison can enroll in the New Workforce Program and receive free access to job development and employment services, substance abuse and mental health treatment, and educational and vocational services.  The New Workforce Center is located at 907 Castle Street in Wilmington, North Carolina.  For more information or to learn how to get involved, call (910) 762-4635, email reentrytaskforce@lincnc.org or visit www.lincnc.org.

 

Frankie Roberts, Executive Director of LINC, Inc., today announced that construction will began on the M.E. Roberts II Transitional Living Facility on November 7, 2011.

McKinley Building Corporation is the general contractor and expects to have the facility ready for occupancy by early May of 2012.

M.E. Roberts II Transitional Living Facility

Description of Development

 The M.E. Roberts II Transitional Living Facility will be a rehabilitation center for men and women who have been recently released from the correctional system. It will serve a population of twenty men (20), twenty women (20) and a six (6) bed detoxification facility.  It will include supportive services that focus on the rehabilitation of the decision making processes, the educational advancement and social skills. It will reinforce good decisions and promote a goal oriented lifestyle for its residents. On site job training will take place and job placement will be available to residents who are having a difficult time do to their criminal records in finding a job.

 Description of the Neighborhood and Site

The former Wilmington Weekend Jail is located at 222 Division Drive, Wilmington NC. It is located by the current Wilmington Correctional Facility and County Maintenance offices. It is a quiet and peaceful environment which is located in an area which will enable the holistic rehabilitation of the Living Facility Residents.

Resident Requirements

The M.E. Roberts Transitional Living Facilities residents will be Men and Women who have been recently released from the correctional system.

Age:

Adult’s ages eighteen and over who have served time for various criminal offenses

 Income:

 Given the Experience of LINC with these individuals income is not a realistic qualifying factor since they have not been a part of society for a period of time. The facility however is designed to help these individuals begin to earn an income.

Resident Profile

 Given the experience of the developer, LINC, Inc. through working with their current residents, they expect the residents of the M.E. Roberts II Transitional Living Facility to be:

•  Adults exiting the criminal justice system
•  All residents will be classified as “below the poverty level”
•  Racially mixed community
•  Very few will have a high school diploma or GED
•  Many struggle with substance abuse and mental health issues

For more information about the new M.E. Roberts II facility, please contact Larkin Rausher at 910-762-4635.