Justice Prevails Fund

“Justice is what love looks like in public.” Dr. Cornel West

 

From Crisis to Innovation to Impact

FLY has been working above and beyond to see our youth and their families through very tough times. Drawing on 20+ years of exemplary service to youth and the support of the FLY Family, we pivoted in our work to connect more deeply and holistically with our youth and their families. When the Bay Area shut down, we sprang into crisis management and responded with innovations to meet pressing community needs.

But we cannot rest. Crises continue to loom for our youth and their families as they deal with education inequities, job losses, fears of eviction, food insecurity, and the threat of serious illness without adequate health care. And as the rest of the nation wakes up to the reality of racial injustice, our young people recognize the inequity their families and communities have experienced for generations. As political polarization increases, youth fear they are at even greater risk of losing their rights, freedom, and voices.

All of this demonstrates what we already know: that racism and other forms of injustice are deeply ingrained in our society. At the same time, these crises are creating important new opportunities to work toward justice and equity. Because of our experience, our partnerships, and our extraordinary commitment to lifting up the voices of young people, FLY is uniquely qualified—and obligated—to lead in this work. Right now.

The Justice Prevails Fund

FLY has launched the $1.5 million Justice Prevails Fund to seize this moment, stand with our young people, and stand for justice. The Fund is a unique opportunity to work alongside FLY to serve more young people, make our communities safer, and impact the justice system for future generations of youth. Your investment in the Fund will support three tightly related initiatives:

Community Responsive Innovations. COVID-19 created significant disruptions to the education, livelihoods, housing, and health of our youth and families, and we responded with new levels of support. The pandemic also created significant disruptions to our work – but that gave us unexpected opportunities to innovate and improve our program design and delivery. Now we’re ready to put those critical learnings to work in more programs and places.

Youth Voices for Change. Our youths’ stories, perspectives, and advocacy have always catalyzed change. Supporting them to speak out on issues has gained FLY respect locally and nationwide. Linking to FLY’s recent successes such as training probation officers in Santa Clara County and helping eliminate police presence in several school districts, our work will continue to leverage unprecedented momentum around alternatives that promote greater community safety, equity, and justice.

Statewide Impact. California political leaders and ordinary citizens are beginning to understand that more police and prisons are not the answers to community problems—in many cases, they are the problem. FLY’s reputation gives us and our young people the authority to act for proven, effective alternatives to putting youth in dangerous institutions and burdening their entire lives with criminal records. We will form powerful partnerships to help change laws, change budgets, and change policing in the interests of justice.

This Moment Matters

History has shown that times of crisis are the times when enduring change becomes possible. We see a future where young people escape the pipeline to prison and build their own pathways to prosperity. We see a future where equity and justice translate to safety and opportunity for all. With your partnership, this will become a reality and we will see Justice Prevail. To learn how you can play a role, contact Ali Knight, FLY’s President and CEO, at ali@flyprogram.org.

Donate to the Fund Now