Bending The Bars

09/11/2026

Coming home is a major transition. For someone with a history of substance use, those first few months can be especially challenging.

Housing. Employment. Family pressure. Financial stress. Old environments. Trying to rebuild while adjusting to life after incarceration.

That’s why reentry can’t simply be “You’re home. Good luck.” People need support, resources, stability, accountability, and access to recovery services.

At Bending the Bars, we believe support should begin before release and continue long after someone comes home.

Because the goal isn’t just to come home. The goal is to STAY home. 💛🖤

09/11/2026

Want to know what Bending the Bars is really about?

Join us for our Virtual Information Session on Wednesday, September 23rd at 7:00 PM ET.

We’ll be sharing more about our mission, current programs, upcoming initiatives, volunteer opportunities, community partnerships, and how YOU can get involved.

Whether you want to volunteer, partner with us, support our work, or simply learn more, this session is for you.

Register today:
https://www.bendingthebars.org/event-details/bending-the-bars-information-session

Come learn more about the movement and how we are helping returning citizens build a stronger future.

09/04/2026

September is National Recovery Month.

Recovery is not just about leaving something behind. It is about building a life that supports where you are going.

A strong recovery and reentry plan helps you identify your support system, recognize your triggers, prepare for difficult moments, and stay focused on your housing, employment, transportation, appointments, and goals.

Save this worksheet. Fill it out honestly. Keep it somewhere you can easily access, and share it with someone you trust.

You do not have to navigate reentry or recovery alone. Planning ahead is not a sign of weakness. It is a powerful step toward stability, healing, and long-term success.

Recovery is possible. Reentry can be successful. Second chances matter.

09/04/2026

We are bringing the community together, one table at a time!

Bending the Bars is inviting nonprofits, businesses, churches, agencies, and community organizations to partner with us for The Longest Table 2026.

Bring your table and provide free food, clothing, coats, blankets, hygiene products, community resources, or information about your services. When we connect our tables, we can make sure our neighbors leave with more than a Thanksgiving meal. They can leave with resources, support, and hope.

📅 Saturday, November 21, 2026
⏰ 1:00 PM
📍 Richmond/Henrico
Venue to be announced

Partner commitment deadline: October 24, 2026

Interested in participating? Contact Bending the Bars to secure your place at the table. Visit our website bendingthebars.org and fill out a contact form or email 📧 [email protected].

Please share this post with an organization that belongs at the table!

08/25/2026

08/15/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out to our Back to School Event!! 🏫

Thank you to BX Bistro for your partnership 🍦

Check out some photos from our event!! 👇🏽 Be sure to check our stories for more behind the sciences photos and video!

08/15/2026

📌 SAVE THE DATE!

Want to learn more about Bending the Bars and the work we’re doing in the community?

Join us for our Virtual Information Session on Tuesday, September 23rd at 7:00 PM EST via Zoom.

We’ll be sharing more about:

💛 Our mission and vision
💛 Our programs and initiatives
💛 The work we’re doing to support returning citizens and families
💛 Volunteer opportunities
💛 Ways YOU can get involved and help us make an impact

Whether you’ve been following Bending the Bars for a while or you’re just learning about us, this is your opportunity to hear more about who we are, what we’re building, and where you can fit in.

September 23rd | 7:00 PM EST | Zoom

Save the date and stay tuned. Registration details are coming soon!

Together, we can BEND THE BARS and build stronger communities. 💛🖤

08/14/2026

🚨 TOMORROW IS THE DAY, RICHMOND! 🎒📚🍦

Bending the Bars is teaming up with The BX Bistro for BX 2 SKOOL, and we’re ready to love on our community and help our kids get ready for the new school year!

📅 TOMORROW, AUGUST 15
⏰ 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
📍 The BX Bistro
1203 N. Laburnum Ave.
Richmond, VA 23223

🎒 FREE school supplies
🍦 FREE ice cream for the first 50 people
🎶 Games & music
💙 Good vibes and community!

Parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles… bring the babies out! We want our young people heading back to school knowing their community is behind them.

No registration. Just come out and join us!

📣 PLEASE SHARE! Somebody on your timeline may need these school supplies.

See y’all TOMORROW! 💙🎒📚

08/12/2026

🚨 THIS SATURDAY, RICHMOND! 🎒📚

We’re getting our kids ready to head BX 2 SKOOL!

Bending the Bars is excited to partner with The BX Bistro for a FREE Back to School event for our community.

📅 THIS SATURDAY, AUGUST 15
⏰ 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
📍 The BX Bistro
1203 N. Laburnum Ave.
Richmond, VA 23223

🎒 FREE school supplies
🍦 FREE ice cream for the first 50 people
🎶 Games & music
💙 Community, fun & giving back

Parents, bring the kids out! We want our students walking into this school year feeling prepared, supported and excited about what’s ahead.

No child should have to start the school year without the basics. This is what community looks like when we come together and pour into our young people.

📣 SHARE THIS POST! Tag a parent, grandparent, auntie, uncle or caregiver who needs to know.

We’ll see you THIS SATURDAY! 🎒🍦📚

08/10/2026

A Vision Brought to Life 💛🖤

The Community Insight Think Tank started with a vision from our Founder and Visionary, Nicole Deyo.

Nicole understood that if we truly want to create change, we have to bring the right people into the room and have the conversations that too often get overlooked.

She organized the Community Think Tank to create space for returning citizens, advocates, community leaders, organizations, professionals, and people directly impacted by the justice system to sit at the same table, share their perspectives, identify gaps, and talk about REAL solutions.

And that is exactly what happened.

This wasn’t about hosting another event just to say we did something. It was about listening. Learning. Connecting. Challenging one another. And asking the bigger question:

What can we actually do TOGETHER to make things better?

Nicole, thank you for your leadership, your vision, and your continued commitment to making sure the voices of impacted individuals and families are not only heard, but included in the work.

The Think Tank may have been one day, but the conversations and connections that came from it are just the beginning.

Together, we break barriers and build better futures. 💛🖤