- [Narrator] Funding for this edition of One-On-One with Steve Adubato has been provided by The Russell Berrie Foundation.

Making a difference.

Holy Name Medical Center.

This place is different.

Rutgers University Newark.

An anchor institution that is both in Newark and of Newark.

The North Ward Center.

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

The Turrell Fund, supporting Reimagine Childcare.

Investors Bank.

United Airlines.

Connecting people, uniting the world.

And by Fedway Associates, Inc.

Promotional support provided by ROI-NJ, informing and connecting businesses in New Jersey.

And by The New Jersey Business & Industry Association.

- This is One-On-One.

- I'm an equal American just like you are.

- The jobs of tomorrow are not the jobs of yesterday.

- Look at this.

You get this?

- Life without dance is boring.

- I don't care how good you are or how good you think you are, there is always something to learn.

- Do you enjoy talking politics?

- No.

- People call me 'cause they feel nobody's paying attention.

- Our culture, I don't think has ever been tested in the way it's being tested right now.

- That's a good question, high five.

(upbeat music) - Welcome, I'm Steve Adubato and it is our honor to talk to a real leader in the field of education, Dominique Lee, Founder and CEO of Brick Education Network.

He's the 2015 winner of the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award.

Good to see you, my friend, Dominique.

- Good to see you also.

- So, we interviewed, I interviewed you back in 2015 at the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Awards but for those who haven't seen that interview, make it clear what the Brick Education Network is and why it matters now more than ever.

- No problem.

We are a charter management organization that manages charters here currently in Newark, New Jersey, the South Bronx in New York, and soon to be Buffalo, New York.

We are a holistic education model that basically couples a strong academic program along with character education and (indistinct) that children are successful.

- So, so let me try this.

I'm not sure everyone knows what a charter school is.

Define it.

I know it well 'cause my dad founded the Robert Treat Charter School in Newark so I grew up around charter schools, but for those that don't know, it's a public school but a certain kind of public school.

- Yes, it is a public school that is sanctioned by the state and it's basically providing an alternative model to support children and communities.

So for example, like ours is, our school is coupled with a lot of family support, housing support, food support all the things that need to happen.

So each model is different.

So it's just basically a school that's sanctioned by the state to do something differently.

- We're taping toward the end of 2020, be seen later.

Describe the impact of COVID-19 on the work of you and your colleagues and the impact on the students that you're so dedicated to helping and their families.

- Yeah, so I'll start with our staff.

Our staff had been remarkable during this period of time, they have really changed the way that they have taught, or teach, whatever you say.

It's amazing how they, over a flip of a dime, they had to basically switch their entire model overnight so that the work at first and that our teachers, our building leaders, our custodians.

Everyone been very happy to see and very proud of what they have done.

Our resilient families have also kinda weathered all that has come with COVID-19.

They are logging on, they're reaching out, they're creating focus groups together and support networks.

But there's still this little piece of me in the back of my head that is very worried about what the future lies for many of the families that we serve.

The financial cliff that's gonna come down the pipeline these mountains of debt that are basically accumulating because not able to afford rent or reducing of hours.

So a lot of issues that will come with COVID afterwards, that's what's keeping me up right now, but overall, I think we have done a remarkable job.

- When you won the, you were one of the winners of the 2015 Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award, I remember meeting you and the impact you had on so many others at that annual event that we have every year that we're looking forward to being together in person, particularly as we approach the 25th anniversary.

This is part of a series called 25 For 25, 25 winners of the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award that we're featuring, there are hundreds, literally, I think there are, we have 350, if not more winners over the years, last 25 years, last quarter century.

But I remember the impact you had on others.

And what I'm curious about is what was it like for you to be around those other unsung heroes?

- Well, I will say that it was very humbling and also kind of warm to be around others who are also devoting their lives to changing and working with populations that are in the margins of our society.

Leadership is a lonely and especially nonprofit leadership is lonely at that.

- That's right.

- So being amongst a crowd of individuals that have devoted their entire lives to working with the margins of our society, it was very humbling and actually warm to be around - You use the expression "cradle to career."

What does that mean?

- So we support, basically once a mother or someone is pregnant in our community, we want them into our pipeline.

So we immediately want them to call us.

They are part of our baby college.

They're part of our home visiting programs with all of our partnerships, part of with our health center and we want them to be ready for the kindergarten.

Once they're in kindergarten, we want them to be successful in their academic pipeline all the way up to 12th grade.

Once they at 12th grade, go to college, through college and to careers.

So we want to follow you from the day that you are conceived to the point that you are in your career.

- Dominique, I asked you this, then I'll ask you again.

Where does your passion come from to do this kind of work?

- Well, one is my faith.

Then two, I come from many of the similar backgrounds of the people that we serve.

My parents had me when they were 15.

I was able to experience two different worlds, a world where I'm the first generation to go to college by my mom and I'm third generation go to college on my father's side.

Two stark different realities between wealth.

My mom worked hourly jobs, barely making the bare minimum, on and off of public assistance.

At the same time, my dad was a corporate executive.

So I was able to see both worlds, feel both worlds, experience both worlds, and still are experiencing both worlds.

So I know the difference that education makes.

And then on top of that, being an African American where education is part of our march towards equity.

It is a key.

- That's right.

- If you don't get education right, then all the other parts of this march won't be successful.

- I'm gonna, this is part of our 25 For 25 series, but it's also, I'm gonna ask our team to put up our graphic for our ongoing series simply called Confronting Racism, in all of its forms; institutional racism, social justice that you're talking about.

How is the work you're doing with your colleagues, quote, "confronting racism?"

- Yeah, so there's two ways I would say.

The first way that we confront this is ensuring that our, the children that we serve that are primarily black and brown, have a chance of living out their dreams by having the academic curriculum, academic resume that will allow for them to go and live out those dreams.

That's the first thing.

I think the second thing is one of our pillars of our organization is having a strong sense of identity.

What does it mean to be black?

What does it mean to be brown?

What does it mean to be female or male?

And how when you enter into a world that currently is not set up for you, how do you interact with that but still not let it knock you down, but continue to push towards the dreams that you set for yourself?

So I will say those are the two ways that we are confronting racism.

One, ensuring that they have a strong academic program, and two, allowing for our children to explore and really form their identity.

- Dominique, before I let you go, you optimistic?

And if so, why?

- I am optimistic for a lot of reasons.

I think the first reason is that while there's a lot of social unrest that's happening, there's a multitude of conversations that are taking place across the United States.

I've seen leaders actually say structural racism.

I've seen funders actually say we have to change the way that we're doing things.

Our education system is actually acknowledging the historic injustices that black and brown children have been faced with.

So I am happy with the conversations that we have now in law, for sure.

It's just that the future generations, our children are growing up in different environments where they can continue to push.

So the joy that I see in them is what gives the hope.

- The other reason for optimism is leaders like you and organizations like Brick Education at work.

Dominique Lee, I wanna thank you so much for joining us again and wish you and your colleagues all the best.

- Thank you so much.

- I'm Steve Adubato, we'll be right back.

- [Narrator] To watch more One on One with Steve Adubato find us online and follow us on Social media.

- We're now joined by Lisa Gladwell, who is Chair of the Board of New Jersey Recovery Advocates.

Good to see, Lisa.

- Good to see you, Steve.

Thank you for having me.

- It's our pleasure.

You're part of our 25 for Twenty-Five initiative, recognizing 25 winners of the Russ Berrie Making A Difference Award.

You won this in 2016.

Do you remember that year?

- Oh yes, I do.

Very grateful.

- Why do you say that?

- Very grateful because winning the Russ Berrie Award has increased the visibility of our organization and also our credibility.

Being on your show also in the past, we've been able to spread the word to an audience that certainly needs to know we're out there but who have not had another opportunity to find out that people like us are there.

- Lisa, let's talk a little bit about the work of New Jersey Recovery Advocates.

For those who don't know what you do, what is it and who do you serve?

- What we are is a recovery advocacy organization and this is recovery from addiction.

It doesn't matter whether it be alcohol or any type of drugs.

And what we do is we celebrate the fact that recovery does exist, we educate for those who do not know about recovery, and we try to, we strive to eradicate the stigma and discrimination that keeps people incarcerated by their disease or a loved one's disease.

And we try show that recovery is real and that it's attainable for everyone.

- So, we've asked every not just every not-for-profit leader but particularly folks who have won the Russ Berrie Award For Making A Difference Award, the impact of COVID, not just on your organization, but on the people you serve?

Answer both questions.

- Okay, COVID.

Well for us, and to give you a little background of my understanding of addiction, and by the way, Wednesday I will celebrate 19 years, one day at a time, in recovery.

Thank you.

The gift is mine.

But some of the things that I've learned along the way, and I certainly am still a student, I'm no teacher, but some of the things that I learned is that the opposite of addiction is human connection and COVID has removed or made it very difficult and challenging to have a human connection with others.

I happened to belong to a 12 step fellowship, which is the reason why we're speaking today, because I'm alive because of the folks in my network.

And it's very difficult.

We are meeting over Zoom.

The human connection is a lot less right now and we're starving and we're starving as human beings.

So COVID has certainly made things a lot more challenging.

From our perspective as an organization, every year we have a statewide event in September- - To raise money.

To raise money.

- Well, we raise money in advance to throw this big walk and rally.

We are a nonprofit, we're a group of volunteers, and we raise the money and it goes right into the event.

And part of that, a lot of organizations, nonprofits and otherwise, can do some fundraisers via Zoom or virtual fundraisers.

Unfortunately with addiction, it's very difficult to do our work and to accomplish what we need to do unless we're in-person.

So for the first year since 2014, we canceled our event in September.

And especially in this time of COVID, when we were talking about that, liquor sales are up 72%.

- Go back.

Liquor sales are up 72% since March of 2020.

We're taping this in November of 2020.

- Yes, which tells you that there are more folks like I used to be, who have a lot of anxiety, who are using alcohol and certainly drugs to cope with their anxiety.

That's what I did.

And for that reason, it's important that we do get out there and show the world.

Unfortunately, mental health goes hand-in-hand, mental health issues, anxiety, depression.

Domestic violence is up.

Substance abuse, overdoses, deaths, and suicides are all up.

- The need for the work of you and your organization, never more important, while your ability to raise money and do what you do has been seriously compromised, largely because of the reality of COVID.

- Absolutely.

Absolutely.

And, yes, the addiction is a tsunami underneath this pandemic.

It's happening.

- What's the message you want to deliver, a few seconds, for everybody right now who says, well, I'm good, that's not me?

You say...?

- If it's not you, it's somebody in your household, on your block.

I truly believe that we are as strong as our weakest link as a society, as a nation and, as such, we need each other.

Human connection heals wounds and we are all wounded and we were all vulnerable.

We need to know that there's hope out there, that there are solutions, and we're here to show that.

- Hey, Lisa Gladwell, I want to thank you and I look forward to being together with you and the other winners over the years of the Russ Berrie Making A Difference Award and also getting together to recognize others in future years.

All the best to you, Lisa.

Thank you.

- Thank you.

Thank you, Steve.

- You got it.

We'll be right back right after this.

- [Narrator] To watch more One on One with Steve Adubato find us online and follow us on Social media.

- We're honored to be joined by Bonnie O'Brien, President and CEO of an organization called Transition Professionals.

This is part of our 25 for 25 initiative of recognizing 25 winners of the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Awards.

Bonnie tell everyone what Transition Professionals is.

- So we're a re-entry program serving Northern New Jersey.

Anyone who's coming from jail or prison who needs any type of assistance can come to us and be helped.

We provide all sorts, a wide array of services, clothing, anything that someone needs to get them back on their feet and return them back to society and create a situation where they're coming from a tax taker to a taxpayer.

- You know, it's interesting.

This is going to be seen in 2021.

COVID is still a big part of our lives.

Everyone hoping and praying about the vaccine.

But let me ask you this.

If someone says, Hey, wait a minute we have to prioritize the problems and issues we have in society and prisoners reentering society, effectively, successfully, it's not a high priority, not the way I feel, I'm just putting that out there.

Talk to those folks and tell them why it's in everyone's interest, not just someone getting out of prison, trying to get back on the right track and do the right thing.

- Well, first of all, if someone gets out of prison and they have no place to go, technically they're homeless.

If they have no way to sustain themselves, if they have no opportunity to feed themselves they're going to revert right away back to crime.

So what we try and do is connect them with services that will help them get back on their feet.

That includes welfare, food stamps, shelter, whatever it is we can do.

And then once the person has been stabilized the next thing we work on is employment.

If they are workable, they should be employed.

And we do resumes, we do job searches, we make phone calls to employers, whatever we can do to get this person employed.

- You know, it was 1997 that we met, excuse me, at the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Awards.

First of all, what did the award mean?

What did the award mean and does the award mean?

And second, what was it like being in that room with all those other extraordinary leaders of organizations making a difference?

- It was overwhelming.

Up to that point I had been, we're all volunteers, and I had been financing the organization.

I had decided to start this organization after I was volunteering in the jail for so many years.

And I said, I'm going to do this.

And I'm going to do it full fledged as a one-stop center to help people getting out of jail and prison.

- Was that the Bergen County Jail?

- The Bergen County Jail.

And when I was nominated for the award I thought that was great.

I had never heard about it before, but when I won the award, that $50,000 went straight into our coffers here and we were able to sustain paying the mortgage payment, the rent, the utilities, and much, much more.

And since that time we're no longer a solely volunteer organization.

We're funded by the state.

We get a myriad of donations in and we're able to help people more than ever before.

- Wow.

I remember, it's so funny, people don't know who wins that $50,000 prize and that is the largest cash prize.

And by the way, background, you'll see the Berrie website up.

366 winners over the past 25, almost 25 years.

It's actually since 1997, that's why this is called 25 for 25.

25 winners over these 25 years $3.5 million in cash awards.

People don't know who wins that $50,000 award.

You were pretty surprised weren't you?

- I was totally overwhelmed.

Shocked in fact, when they called my name I just sat there because I just was in a zone.

I couldn't believe it.

So it was overwhelming.

They're a wonderful organization.

I wish there were more like them to help smaller nonprofits like ourselves and all the other winners, but they've done a great job overall over the years.

- And you know Bonnie speaking of not-for-profits, Angelica Berrie, the head of the board of trustees of the foundation and I had this conversation on the air.

We've had it off as well, about the impact of COVID on not-for-profits.

Talk about the impact of COVID-19 on the work that you and your colleagues are doing.

- So when COVID hit in mid March we were still fully operational, running eight programs in the Bergen County Jail.

At the end of March, we were no longer in the Bergen County Jail, but we were still open.

We have a lot of homeless on the streets and we collect mail for at least 40 people who are homeless.

So being closed really wasn't an option.

I was coming into the office two and three times a week to make sure that people were getting their mail and to see if there was anything else we can help solve some of their problems for.

As of June 1st, we opened completely our doors.

We haven't been closed since June 1st.

We're open every day, Monday to Friday.

And we've started to go back into the jail.

We go in now on the visitor side because there's still a need for people, once we've identified them in the jail that there may be homeless or they need services.

We go in ahead of time so that when they're ready to get out we're already primed to assist them with whatever they need.

- Bonnie, you mentioned getting out, talk about the impact of quote unquote, early release of prisoners.

- So the state released quite a number of prisoners on November 4th.

- By the way, this is being seen in 2021.

So we're talking about 2020, but go ahead.

- November 4th, 2020, quite a few prisoners were released from the state of New Jersey.

Many of whom came back to Bergen County.

Many of whom had no services in effect for them.

So we were able to connect them with the board of social services, get them into the hotels because our shelter had been shut down.

And board of social services was putting people temporarily into hotels.

So once they're stabilized and they have housing then we go ahead and see whatever else we can do for them.

If it's a matter of getting them documents of identification that has also been more difficult with offices being closed.

County offices, municipal offices.

So we do whatever we can to get them their documents of ID.

We connect them with mental health services.

We give them clothing.

The good thing about COVID is people are cleaning up their closets and donating a heck of a lot of clothing.

So we have clothing for people.

In fact, we bring clothing down to the jail because they may have gone in in the summer and they're coming out down when it's cold.

- I'm sorry for interrupting, before we end, I need to ask you this.

Biggest misconception from your perspective of many people, I'm not sure it's most, many people about the formerly incarcerated.

What's the biggest misconception about them.

- That they're all criminals.

I mean, yes, they've committed a crime, but sometimes the justice system isn't always just, and sometimes people will agree to a sentence when in fact they may not have been totally guilty.

I've learned a lot working in this field and I've worked with a lot of judges.

I've worked with a lot of attorneys and we realized that the justice system is not always just.

- And race matters, socioeconomic status matters- - Absolutely.

- Legal representation matters.

All those things matter.

One more, do this before we leave, we'll put up your website one more time.

If people want to make a difference and try to be helpful to what you're doing, can they volunteer?

Can they contribute?

What can they do?

We've got a few seconds - So they can volunteer.

Yes, we're always looking for volunteers.

It can be remote volunteering or it can be here in person in the office where they're actually face-to-face with people.

They can donate, whether it be tangible items or whether it be financial support.

We have a lot of people who eventually do get into apartments and they need a lot of things for those apartments.

So household items as well - Bonnie O'Brien is the President and CEO of an organization called Transition Professionals.

One of 25 winners of the Berrie Award for Making a Difference that we're featuring in 25 for 25.

Bonnie, thank you so much.

We wish you all the best and your colleagues doing important work.

Thanks Bonnie.

- Thanks Steve.

- I'm Steve Adubato.

We thank you so much for watching.

We'll see you next time.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato has been a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by The Russell Berrie Foundation.

Holy Name Medical Center.

Rutgers University Newark.

The North Ward Center.

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

The Turrell Fund, supporting Reimagine Childcare.

Investors Bank.

United Airlines.

And by Fedway Associates, Inc.

Promotional support provided by ROI-NJ.

And by The New Jersey Business & Industry Association.

- Data shows that many patients have avoided seeking critical health care in the wake of COVID-19 for fear of contracting the virus.

Delaying medical care can have serious consequences, so you should never second guess or ignore your symptoms.

At Holy Name Medical Center we have measures in place to prevent infectious disease from spreading, we're clean, we're open and we're safe for all your health care needs.