The Doe Fund Raises Over $1.3 Million at First Virtual Gala, with Gifts Still Coming In
Hundreds tuned in to watch Tomorrow Works, which brought together a cross section of leaders to inspire action and investment.
New York, NY— The Doe Fund joined forces with corporate leaders, policymakers, economists, academics, and philanthropists at Tomorrow Works, a virtual convening to confront COVID-19, mass unemployment, and the enduring struggle for racial and economic justice. The virtual gala—a first for The Doe Fund—raised over $1.3 million to provide solutions to these concurrent crises, with more donations still coming in.
Tomorrow Works demonstrated how workforce development and vocational training, core aspects of The Doe Fund’s Ready, Willing & Able reentry program, can move marginalized Americans into the middle class. It also showcased how The Doe Fund and its industry partners are advancing racial and economic justice, putting Americans—with and without criminal records—back to work, and innovating for a safer, more efficient workplace.
Presenters included Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, Chair of the House Democratic Caucus; New York State Assemblywoman Maritza Davila; New York City Council Member Robert Cornegy, Jr.; Arthur Brooks, Former President of the American Enterprise Institute; Peter Blair, Co-director of the Harvard University Project on Workforce; Melique Jones, Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Talent Pipeline at Skadden; Mark Faucette, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services; the Reverend Alphonso Wyatt; and representatives from Amazon, Google, and The Aspen Institute.
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries said, “I’m thankful for all that The Doe Fund has done to create opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals to be successful upon reentry… These are very challenging times here in America. It’s going to take sustained energy, sustained urgency, and sustained commitment to tackle these challenges. That’s exactly what The Doe Fund has done.”
“I believe that working together, just like we have in the past—with that same sense of unity, that sense of being neighbors, that sense of coming together—that tomorrow’s future will be the brightest yet,” said George McDonald, Founder and President of The Doe Fund.
“The inequality in America today stems from an inequality of dignity. Through its workforce development, The Doe Fund helps to bridge this gap through the power of work, which creates a sense of neededness among all of our brothers and sisters, and therefore, a sense of equal dignity, as well,” said Arthur Brooks.
Tomorrow Works also featured two-time Academy Award-nominated actor Ethan Hawke, who currently stars in The Good Lord Bird on Showtime. In addition, the event included graduates of The Doe Fund’s programs.
“Prior to coming to The Doe Fund, I was knee-deep into the drug game. It was pretty much all I knew,” said Antwoin Gutierrez, a graduate of The Doe Fund’s culinary arts training who spoke at Tomorrow Works. “Thank God for The Doe Fund—culinary arts literally saved my life.”
One of New York City’s most prominent up-and-coming pastry chefs, Gutierrez maintains a steady clientele of celebrities and upscale restaurants, while also providing emergency food deliveries throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“To me, the men of Ready, Willing & Able have always been part of the great fabric of New York City,” said Melique Jones.
