LWV-Muncie at Block Party for Second Chance Dads
Sabrina Glidden | Published on 8/30/2020
Second Chance Dads
The Second Chance Dads (SCD) sponsored a block party on Saturday, August 22, 2020 in Muncie, Indiana, a community relations event that provided a chance for parolees to attend with their families, enjoy an event of free food and entertainment, all while registering to vote and be counted in the 2020 Census.
Featured guests included the Delaware County and Muncie Police departments, as well as Mayor Dan Ridenauer as the keynote speaker. Other speakers included Special Deputy Kenny West of the Delaware County Sherrif's Department, who is also the founder and president of SCD, as well as several other speakers.
The League of Women Voters and Muncie Resists made the event a convenient way for attendees to register to vote while enjoying a relaxing evening with their families. "I think that people felt comfortable and at home," said Julie Mason, a member of the League, who is also a volunteer for Census 2020. She said that people also participated in the Census during the event as well, making the whole evening very productive for civic involvement.
Unc's BBQ food truck was there, providing meals for everyone. The police officers from the city and county were mixed right in the crowd, showing their support for participants in the SCD program, which is gaining a lot of traction.
The program currently has 20 participants, according to Surge Staffing Regional Manager Tina Black. "We work with the program, and several other staffing companies do as well," she said. "We work with a lot of SCD companies in other places and it really helps people get to where they need to be." Since its inception in Delaware County, Tina Black has become a board member of SCD and serves the organization as treasurer. She is aware of further developments in the works that promise to ease parolees into quality working situations by providing services tailor-made for each individual. "John Bush is developing an evaluation system that will be a sustaining program," she explained. "We build them up, give them the confidence they need before we place them into a work environment." She said skill assessments, counseling and other support needs are all provided for each person to set them up for success.