New Haven-Urban Resources Initiative Inc

Through our GreenSkills program, URI provides paid job training planting trees in New Haven for adults with a life history that includes incarceration. The importance of GreenSkills program is only augmented by the current pandemic. Each month 100 adults are released from prison to New Haven. These adults are 200% under the poverty level, disproportionately people of color, and often have children to support. While URI provides the critical need of paid job training, our partner, EMERGE CT, provides wrap-around services in literacy, parenting skills, peer support, and more. This partnership enables URI to bring highly structured and supervised job skills training in urban forestry to prison survivors and has resulted in less recidivism and increased employment. 

Significant barriers to employment have been exacerbated this year by COVID-19. Steep fluctuations in the unemployment rate, general economic uncertainty and job instability pose serious threat to the job prospects. The GreenSkills program is now all the more vital, as it provides employment in a safe setting, with outdoor planting jobs that takes all the necessary precautions. 

Despite the challenges of this year, URI's GreenSkills crews have planted 517 free trees for 278 New Haven tree adopters.  Trees help fight climate change by storing carbon and reducing the urban heat island effect and building energy use.  Trees provide beauty, shade, and clean air.  Trees help create a sense of place and increase property values. URI trees have a 90-95% survival rate.  Support our critical work this #GivingTuesday!