Dear John,
Happy new year! I hope you had a peaceful and joyous holiday season.
Personally, I appreciated the break after a thrilling but fast-paced year. We accomplished so much together thanks to your support, but I want to share one specific highlight of 2022.
When I started at EJUSA, I knew that one of my highest priorities would be to work with our team to plan for the next several years. There wasn't ever any question about our vision for a world where violence is rare and where people are safe and have what they need to heal and thrive. But we are constantly assessing how we get there and what is required to have the most powerful impact.
We've done that with our new strategic plan.
At the center is our fidelity to our values of equity, healing, partnership, and transcending divides. We prioritize the communities that need our work most. Black and Brown communities disproportionately experience the oppression and racism of our criminal legal system. They feel the hurt of violence. They also understand what is needed to create safety — more than just the absence of violence — in their neighborhoods.
Our commitment to elevating the voice and power of these communities is paramount to our mission. I think it comes through in my favorite section in the report, titled "The EJUSA Difference." If you have only a minute, I encourage you to read that section. I was proud that one of our partners said this:
"There are few groups in the field — and fewer national groups — that are able to sit at national policy tables one day with big, well-resourced organizations, and the next day be with frontline groups."
Building that kind of coalition is fundamental to solving the problem of violence, and our strategic plan makes the case for how we can get there. I hope you'll check it out.
