Avenues for Justice - Andrew Glover Youth Program

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Avenues for Justice - Andrew Glover Youth Program

An Alternative to Incarceration Program By working with hundreds of youth each year for a span of over 30 years, eventually a community can change.

The Andrew Glover Youth Program’s central challenge is to halt the revolving-door cycle of incarceration and poverty for youthful offenders in two NYC neighborhoods– East Harlem and the Lower East Side. The Andrew Glover Youth Program breaks this terrible cycle specifically through bypassing incarceration and replacing it with accountability, education, job training, and employment. And our number

s speak for Glover’s success: 94% of Glover’s successful graduates avoid incarceration within the three-year period upon their completion of our program. And it costs just $3,700 to provide life changing, 24-hour a day, 365 days a year support to each youth we serve.

08/03/2026

This August marks an important milestone for our Executive Director, Liz Frederick, as she celebrates 20 years with Avenues for Justice.

To kick off the month, Liz is featured in Her Agenda, reflecting on the leadership lessons she’s learned over two decades of serving New York City’s young people and families. From joining the organization in 2006 to leading it today, her journey is a testament to the power of purpose, perseverance, and community.

We invite you to follow along as we celebrate this remarkable milestone and the impact of 20 years dedicated to creating pathways to opportunity for New York City’s young people!

07/30/2026

On October 14, 2026, Avenues for Justice (AFJ) will host its annual Impact Awards Dinner, bringing together core supporters and partners to recognize champions of criminal justice reform.

We are thrilled to announce this year’s award recipients:

Andrew Glover Justice Award: James Cadogan - Executive Director National Basketball Social Justice Coalition National Basketball Social Justice Coalition

Corporate Impact Award: Richard Trepp - Founder & CEO, Rockport Group Rockport

Angel Rodriguez Award: Jily Bonilla - AFJ Program Graduate

Master of Ceremonies: Brian Buckmire - Author, ABC News Legal Contributor Brian G Buckmire

TO PURCHASE TICKETS AND SPONSORSHIPS, PLEASE USE THE LINK IN OUR BIO!

07/23/2026

On October 14th at the Tribeca Rooftop, Avenues for Justice will host our annual Impact Awards Dinner where we will celebrate the accomplishments of AFJ Program Graduate Jily.

In the summer of 2023, 17-year-old Jily encountered a legal matter that led to her being mandated to the Family Court Diversion program. Had she been 18 or older, she could have faced at least one year of jail time. Fortunately, she was referred to AFJ’s Manager of Court Advocacy and Outreach, Brian Stanley, to complete eight sessions with our program.

📸: Joshua Dwain

READ JILY’S FULL STORY AND PURCHASE GALA TICKETS USING THE LINK IN OUR BIO!

07/22/2026

We’re honored to be named a 2026 NYC Imagine Awards Rising Star Award Semifinalist!

This recognition reflects the work happening every day across Avenues for Justice and the unwavering commitment of our staff, Participants, partners, and supporters who believe every young person deserves a second chance.

For nearly five decades, we’ve worked alongside court-involved young people and their families, proving that community-based alternatives to incarceration create stronger futures, safer neighborhoods, and lasting opportunities. Thank you to the NYC Imagine Awards for recognizing organizations committed to strengthening communities across New York City. We’re honored to stand alongside so many nonprofits creating meaningful impact.

Congratulations to all of this year’s semifinalists!

New York City Imagine Awards

07/21/2026

The data is clear. Black and Brown communities do not experience mental illness at dramatically higher rates than white Americans. What they do experience is less access to care, poorer-quality treatment, and a greater likelihood that their mental health needs will be met with punishment instead of support.

In the United States, jails, prisons, and detention centers have effectively become some of the country’s largest providers of mental health “care,” a role they were never designed to fill.

We must build systems that respond with treatment, dignity, and opportunity, not incarceration.

07/17/2026

Thank you to our friends at Con Edison for highlighting Avenues for Justice in their latest Manhattan Regional & Community Affairs Partners Newsletter!

Last month, we were honored to welcome Barbette Lherisson to our Juneteenth Father’s Day Panel for a powerful conversation centered on fatherhood, mentorship, faith, service, and the importance of creating meaningful opportunities for young people. At AFJ, we know that supporting young people takes a village so through community partnerships and shared commitment, we continue building spaces where youth are seen, supported, and empowered to thrive!

07/16/2026

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to recognize the unique mental health challenges facing communities of color and the systemic barriers that too often stand in the way of care.

In this week’s newsletter, we explore the intersection of mental health and the justice system, why too many young people receive their first “mental health intervention” through incarceration instead of treatment, and what healing-centered, community-based alternatives can look like.

Read the full newsletter via the link in our bio or by heading to our website.

07/15/2026

On Monday, Loisaida Realty Founder and Principal Broker, Frank Gonzalez, spoke to AFJ Participants as part of the third installment of AFJ’s monthly Founders’ Club workshop.

A native and lifetime resident of the East Village, Frank visited our flagship Lower East Side community center to discuss his journey from his humble beginnings to an early realization in which he wanted to pursue a pathway where he could work for himself.

As he began his business in the early 2000s, he found that his desired freedom of being his own boss came with tough financial responsibilities. Frank shared with AFJ Participants that “if you don’t sell, you don’t eat, you don’t make money, but I always had that drive in me.” To build his business, he discovered the importance of networking and developing strong communication skills.

A special thank you to longtime AFJ supporter George Evageliou for hosting and curating the Founders’ Club workshop series which connects our young people with community entrepreneurs like Frank. One of our AFJ Participants noted at the conclusion of the workshop how “If you want it, you gotta go get it like Frank did!”

07/14/2026

Last Thursday, AFJ Participants met with Toddrick Brockington and AFJ Court Advocate Messiah Ferguson for the start of this year’s second Gun Violence Prevention Initiative (GVPI) workshop. The Lower East Side center was full of lively conversation over how we think about gun violence and how our Participants’ lived experience can help change perspectives. Participants each had the space to speak, but were also unafraid to challenge each other’s preconceived notions of conflict and guns in their own lives.

Over the next seven weeks, for three hours per week, Participants will discuss a multitude of aspects surrounding gun violence: its ramifications, the environmental factors and personal choices that can cause it, and how an individual might reshape their understanding of it. At a broader level, the workshop will not only help Participants reconsider the idea of gun violence itself, but also encourage them to engage in broader society as active listeners, critical thinkers, and confident leaders.

We’re incredibly grateful to Toddrick and Messiah for leading this initiative, and excited to see the new perspectives Participants will gain from it.

07/13/2026

The last couple of weeks have been incredibly busy with HIRE Up programming at both our Lower East Side and Harlem community centers. Through a series of workshops over the past few weeks, Participants have gained insight into potential career paths, learned valuable soft skills like communication and leadership, received cooking instruction and began planning events for AFJ. At each workshop, facilitators bring different perspectives and knowledge. This diversity in instruction is what makes AFJ’s HIRE Up programming effective, fresh, and keep Participants coming back to our centers. Here are some of the highlights of what’s been happening at our workshops!

(Photos 1-2) Culinary Lab with Chef Yaya:

On 6/22, Participants joined Chef Yaya in the kitchen of AFJ’s Lower East Side Center, whipping up fried chicken and some tasty side dishes. Fragrant, earthy scents filled the LES center’s first floor as Participants gained cooking experience chopping vegetables and dunking the chicken in boiling hot oil to the perfect temperature!

(Photos 3-4) Leadership Council with Dr. Dennis:

On 7/7, Participants met with Dr. Dennis Ibude for their weekly Lower East Side Leadership Council meeting. Together, they planned AFJ’s upcoming game night, which will draw AFJ Participants from across all five borough and feature a scavenger hunt, a raffle with prizes, and games like Ultimate Rock Paper Scissors and Indoor basketball.

(Photo 5) Speech & Debate with Reggie Chatman:

On 7/8, Participants at AFJ’s Harlem center joined Reggie Chatman for an exciting afternoon of debate. The resolution was “schools should eliminate the use of metal detectors,” and Participants worked through a series of arguments for the proposition side, examining the structure that makes an argument powerful: claim, reason, example, logic, impact.

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