After Incarceration, 100 Men to Receive Suits and Employment Opportunities at Denver Inner City Parish Event

Denver Inner City Parish (DICP), a human services nonprofit, announced today that it will be hosting 100 men with criminal records at the Suits for Success event, which will be held at College View Community Center in southwest Denver on Friday, February 9. Participants, primarily from area halfway houses, will meet with felon-friendly employers, shop for professional clothing, workshop their resumes, and practice interviewing.

Suits for Success is the brainchild of DICP’s Leo Alirez, the Director of College View Community Center. Once a gang member, Alirez now holds a degree in addictions from Metropolitan State University and an honorary doctorate from the Colorado Urban Institute; additionally, he has clocked over a decade working in partnership with Colorado’s criminal justice system and helping those with records reintegrate into society.

Alirez offered: “We hosted two Suits for Success events in 2017 and the response was phenomenal – we are excited to be bringing it back in 2018. When you look good, you feel good, and for many of the men who come to this, their confidence has been broken down from a lack of employment opportunities. Their records keep them from getting jobs, and this often leads them back to the criminal behavior that landed them in jail in the first place. We work with them to build their confidence and then connect them with employers who share our belief in second chances. We help build skills and connect them with resources they need to find and maintain gainful employment; many will even leave with interviews lined up.”

The College View neighborhood where Suits for Success will be held is one of the city’s low-opportunity areas, with nearly 45% of people living in poverty­­1 and only 48% of adults holding a high school diploma2.  At Suits for Success, Denver Inner City Parish creates opportunity and provides resources, tools, and skills-building workshops that bring men with criminal backgrounds into view of their potential.

Those wishing to participate in or contribute to Suits for Success should contact Jackie Gallegos at (303)350-5565. To make a tax-deductible monetary donation visit www.dicp.org/donate or mail directly to Denver Inner City Parish: 1212 Mariposa Street, Denver, CO 80204, Attn: Development.

About Denver Inner City Parish
Denver Inner City Parish is a grassroots, community-focused human services nonprofit that has been “welcoming and empowering people in need through support, determination, and community” since 1960. It offers a wide variety of services across three Denver locations that focus on 1) Hunger relief and Nutrition, 2) Youth Education and Development, 3) Individual Empowerment, and 4) Community Enrichment.