Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ)

10/05/2026

Thank you to First Parish of Bedford for welcoming Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ) into your service yesterday for Pass the Plate!

It was a wonderful opportunity to share more about restorative justice, the work C4RJ is doing in our communities, and how accountability, healing, and connection can transform the way we respond to harm.

A special thank you to Mark Bailey and Julie Zacharakis for sharing their C4RJ Volunteer experiences and helping bring the heart of restorative justice to life. Your contributions made the conversation especially meaningful.

I also really enjoyed meeting members of the congregation and continuing the conversation over coffee hour afterward. Thank you for your warm welcome and for supporting C4RJ’s work!

We are grateful to be part of a community that believes in the power of connection, healing, accountability, and second chances. 💙

10/01/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for C4RJ’s Brookline Restorative Justice Gathering! 💙

We are grateful to everyone who came together to learn more about restorative justice, the power of healing, and how we can build stronger communities through accountability, connection, and conversation.

A special thank you to Jesus Pizarro and Debbie Hatz for sharing their stories and helping us understand the impact restorative justice can have on individuals and communities. Your voices and experiences made the evening especially meaningful.

Thank you to everyone who asked questions, shared ideas, listened, and helped create such a thoughtful and welcoming space. It truly takes a community to create healing and lasting change.

We’re grateful to the Brookline community for showing up and being part of the conversation. 💙

09/29/2026

✨ Welcome to the team! ✨

On September 26 and September 27, C4RJ was proud to welcome a new class of volunteers who officially completed their New Volunteer Training 🎉👏

We are so grateful for the time, energy, and thoughtfulness each of you brought to the space over the weekend. Thank you for stepping forward to be part of this work and for your commitment to restorative justice in our communities. We are so grateful for your dedication to C4RJ, and we are beyond excited to have you on the team and work alongside you moving forward 💛✨

Welcome to the C4RJ community we’re so glad you’re here! 🌟🤝
Interested in joining our volunteer community? Our next New Volunteer Training will take place in Spring 2027 📣

09/24/2026

📣 You’re Invited! Join C4RJ in Brookline!

Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ) is hosting a Community Friend-Raiser on Tuesday, September 29, from 5:30–7:00 p.m. at the Latvian Lutheran Church of Boston, 58 Irving Street, Brookline.

Come enjoy light refreshments, meet members of the C4RJ community, and learn how restorative justice creates opportunities for accountability, healing, and repair following harm.

🌱 Hear from three local voices:
• Erin Freeborn, C4RJ Executive Director
• Jesus Pizarro, C4RJ Program Associate, Circle Keeper, and restorative justice advocate with lived experience of incarceration
• Debbie Hatzieleftheriadis, C4RJ volunteer and former Brookline Police Officer

C4RJ partners with communities, police departments, and District Attorneys’ offices across Massachusetts to provide restorative justice as an alternative to the traditional court process. Through facilitated circles, people who have been harmed, those responsible for the harm, and trained community volunteers come together to talk about what happened, who was affected, how harm can be addressed, and what is needed to move forward.

This free event is open to everyone! Come learn more, ask questions, meet our team, and discover ways you can get involved — through volunteering, making connections, or supporting C4RJ financially.

📅 Tuesday, September 29
⏰ 5:30–7:00 p.m.
📍 Latvian Lutheran Church of Boston
58 Irving Street, Brookline, MA
🍪 Light refreshments will be served
💚 Free — everyone is welcome!

RSVP: Tammy Hopkins at [email protected] or 617-249-3573

Learn more about C4RJ: www.c4rj.org

09/13/2026

🛍️ TODAY! Come see us at Debra’s Natural Gourmet in Concord!💜

Shop local and give back. 5% of today’s sales will be donated to Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ)!

📍 98 Commonwealth Avenue, West Concord, MA 01742

Hope to see you there! Please share and help spread the word! 💜

🛍️ Shop Local. Give Back. Make an Impact!
Sunday, September 13, stop by Debra’s Natural Gourmet in Concord, MA — both locations are participating! — and shop local while supporting a great cause.

🌟 5% of all sales on Sunday will be donated to Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ)!

Every purchase helps support C4RJ’s work bringing restorative justice to communities across Massachusetts. So grab your shopping list, stop by Debra’s, and know that your purchases are making a meaningful difference in our community. 💜

📍 98 Commonwealth Avenue, West Concord, MA 01742

We can’t wait to see you there!

09/10/2026

🛍️ Shop Local. Give Back. Make an Impact!
Sunday, September 13, stop by Debra’s Natural Gourmet in Concord, MA — both locations are participating! — and shop local while supporting a great cause.

🌟 5% of all sales on Sunday will be donated to Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ)!

Every purchase helps support C4RJ’s work bringing restorative justice to communities across Massachusetts. So grab your shopping list, stop by Debra’s, and know that your purchases are making a meaningful difference in our community. 💜

📍 98 Commonwealth Avenue, West Concord, MA 01742

We can’t wait to see you there!

08/17/2026

Celebrating National Nonprofit Day! 💙

Today, on , we’re celebrating the nonprofit organizations that work every day to strengthen our communities, create opportunity, and make meaningful change possible.

At Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ), we believe communities can be stronger when people have the opportunity to repair harm, take responsibility, rebuild trust, and move forward.

None of this happens alone. It takes dedicated staff, committed volunteers, generous donors, community partners, and people who believe that there can be a better way forward.

Today, we invite you to celebrate nonprofits in your own community:

💙 Volunteer your time to a cause you care about.
💙 Donate or support a nonprofit fundraiser.
💙 Share a nonprofit’s mission and help amplify their work.
💙 Thank the staff and volunteers who give their time and energy to making our communities stronger.

And if you’re part of the C4RJ community—thank you. Your time, support, and belief in restorative justice make this work possible.

Together, we can build stronger communities through the conversations that transform conflict.

08/07/2026

📣 Western MA — C4RJ is looking for new volunteers!

Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ) is recruiting new volunteers in Hampshire and Franklin counties!

In preparation for our two day New Volunteer Training this September, we’re hosting a Virtual Volunteer Information Session on Thursday, August 13, from 12–1 PM for community members interested in learning more about volunteering with C4RJ.

Our volunteers are at the heart of our work. More than 160 active volunteers across Massachusetts help make our restorative justice cases possible in their communities.

We’re looking for volunteers from all backgrounds and experiences, and we’re especially hoping to broaden the diversity of our teams, increase the representation of men among our volunteers, and grow our volunteer community here in Western Massachusetts.

Interested in learning more? Join us on August 13 to hear about the volunteer role, our upcoming September training, and how you can get involved.

Not in Western MA? You’re still welcome! We’d love to have you join us.

📅 Thursday, August 13 | 12–1 PM
💻 Virtual via Zoom
📍 Recruiting in Hampshire & Franklin counties

👉 Register for the August 13 Info Session here: https://forms.gle/sjpd5ZJuzzQGtrSA7

🌱 Already ready to get involved? Apply to become a C4RJ volunteer here: https://airtable.com/appOBsulukVqXe7RL/shrkmp55kKQHdiq5K

Know someone who might be a great fit? Please share and help us spread the word throughout Western MA!

07/23/2026

❤️ Become a Monthly Supporter. Transform Harm into Healing.

What can $25 a month do?

It can help create a conversation that changes a life.

At Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ), we believe accountability and healing are stronger than punishment alone. Through restorative justice, those harmed, those responsible, and trained community volunteers come together to:

🤝 Repair harm
❤️ Rebuild trust
🌱 Create lasting change

Your monthly gift of just $25 helps make these restorative conversations possible—one person, one family, and one story at a time.

When you become a monthly donor, you're investing in stronger communities across Massachusetts and helping create opportunities for healing, accountability, and hope every single month.

💛 Join our community of monthly supporters today.
Every conversation matters. Every gift makes a difference.

https://www.c4rj.org/

06/01/2026

📣 Spend Your Summer Making an Impact!

Join Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ) as our Operations & Administrative Intern and gain hands-on experience supporting the day-to-day operations of a growing nonprofit. You'll work directly with our team on projects involving nonprofit management, office operations, technology, logistics, and organizational growth. The work you support helps C4RJ's staff, volunteers, and community partners create opportunities for meaningful dialogue, accountability, and repair through restorative justice processes across Massachusetts.

✨ Hybrid and In Person • Boston, MA
✨ ~15 hours/week
✨ June–September 2026
✨ Great for students interested in nonprofits, business, public service, administration, or leadership

📅 Applications close June 12

📧 Send your resume and a brief cover letter to [email protected].

📝 View the full job description here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-tefCwBdnvdKE2ZyN5ntG0htq7xggBxH/view?usp=sharing

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