Mychal & Ignacio House Featured in the New York Times!

This year, despite the many challenges and hardships, came with many blessings for Thrive For Life. We are incredibly grateful that our work caught the attention of some media outlets, most recently at the New York Times. 

The COVID-19 pandemic changed lives in ways we would never have imagined. Among those who have borne the brunt of such challenges have been our brothers and sisters returning home from jail and prison. Mychal, one of our resident scholars, was among those released during the height of the pandemic. In an attempt to showcase the complex challenges of reentry, especially in these unique circumstances, the New York Times followed Mychal and two other individuals over the course 12 months as they rejoined communities beyond the walls. In the piece, he reflects on what it was like to not only come home, but to come home to a totally different world.

“Everything was shut down, so I had to reimagine what I was going to do with my life,” he said. Mychal, through family members, managed to get in touch with Fr. Zach where he eventually found his place in our community at Ignacio House. Since then, he has taken on an incredible role as a leader in the community, spearheading projects such as the new library and taking on a role on the house leadership team. Now a full-time NYU student, Mychal continues to sharpen his academic and professional acumen. He has taken a keen interest in filmmaking and photography, talents which he has been gracious enough to share with Thrive For Life for a range of projects. 

We are incredibly grateful for and proud of Mychal. We look forward to all that he will go on to achieve and are blessed to have him as a member of our community. To read the full-write up in the New York Times, please visit https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/12/31/nyregion/ny-nj-reentry-covid.html.