Center for Court Innovation Programs Partner to Support Fathers

UPNEXT participant and BCS intern, Rahmel Warren

On this Father's Days we want to highlight the work of our sister program, UPNEXT, who supports non-custodial fathers and unemployed men through job training and family engagement.  Bronx Community Solutions hosts several UPNEXT interns each year who get experience working with our Community Service team and build valuable skills as they prepare for full-time employement.  

Below, our most recent intern, Rahmel Warren, reflects on his experience working at BCS through the UPNEXT program, giving his take on the importance of the organization’s work and providing a little insight into how BCS supports its clients while contributing to the Bronx community.   

I had a great experience as a fellow at Bronx Community Solutions. The people who work there always made me feel welcome in the office. They really engage with their clients, and are always able to help people feel better about navigating the difficult situations in which they find themselves.

I learned a lot from Moises, Corey and Anthony [community service staff members] about how to interact with our clients in order to help them feel better about their circumstances. Of course, everything wasn’t all peaches and cream. There were definitely hard days when clients were difficult to deal with and had to be sent home. But every day was a new challenge, and something different.

The people at BCS work really hard to contribute to the Bronx community. They take time out of their busy work schedules to help crews paint over graffiti in the neighborhood and connect people to housing, food and employment services. If that isn't trying to make your community better, I don't know what is.

I won’t forget one day when a man came in to do his community service. He was talking about how he had just gotten out of jail and had been locked up for a long time. He was going through a lot, staying at different shelters where his belongings were being stolen. Corey and I had a long talk with him and were able to get him some help and connect him to support. He met with Magaly, who was able to set him up with a place to live and enroll him in a job program where he could do right for himself.

I think Maria and Jennifer [BCS project directors] are doing a great job with the BCS program. It was exciting to be working around such great people. I’m very proud to have been a part of the fellowship program at BCS. I loved the experience and hope I can use what I learned later down the line to support people who need help. And finally, I just want to thank everybody at BCS for everything they do in every department. Keep doing what you are doing because you are changing lives.