Subject: Celebrate Vera's work for justice this GiveNOLA Day!
From: "Corinna Yazbek" <[email-masked]>
To: "Corinna Yazbek" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2016 18:51:51 +0000

Hello,

We are thrilled to share with you that on Tuesday May 3rd, Vera is participating in our very first GiveNOLA Day. We hope you will help make it a success!

Produced by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, GiveNOLA Day is the community's one-day, online giving event to inspire people to support local organizations that are making our region stronger, creating a thriving community for all.

Since 2006, Vera has been working in New Orleans to improve the criminal justice system, focused on ending the over-use of detention. We helped city leaders right-size our new jail, ensuring we'd no longer be the global leader in local incarceration; we helped the NOPD and DA's office reduce the average case screening time from 60 to 10.5 days; we recently began an in-depth cost-benefit analysis that will uncover the true costs of our "user-pay" criminal justice system and lead to better alternatives; and we are working with law enforcement, court, and public health experts to divert people with mental illness to care in lieu of arrest. We couldn't have done any of this without friends and supporters like you!

In two easy steps, here's how you can help us continue our work:

  1.  On May 3rd, give to support Vera by going here: https://givenola.org/npo/vera-institute-of-justice. Last year, GiveNOLA Day raised $4 million dollars from more than 34,000 donations from around the world. Mark your calendar now and plan to give between 12am and 11:59pm CST.
  2.  Help us spread the word! Use social media to tell you friends about GiveNOLA Day, why you decided to give to Vera, and why they should, too. Like us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/verainstitute/>, follow us on Twitter<https://twitter.com/verainstitute>, and RSVP to our GiveNOLA Day Facebook event<https://www.facebook.com/events/1742655499305528/>.

Finally, we'd love for you to join us for happy hour<https://www.facebook.com/events/262016880810431/> from 4-7pm at Rebellion at 748 Camp Street in the CBD to celebrate our shared commitment to making New Orleans a safe place with a fair justice system for everyone.

Thank you for all you do to nurture justice in New Orleans!

Sincerely,
Corinna Yazbek
Senior Associate for Strategic Partnerships
And all of us at Vera in New Orleans:
Jon Wool, Director
Jonathan Varnado, Program Associate
Kayemba Mvula, Program Analyst
Mathilde Laisne, Senior Program Associate
Michelle Ramos, Project Director
Rose Wilson, Senior Research Associate

[justice-in-katrinas-wake-blog-banner]<http://www.vera.org/blog/justice-in-katrinas-wake-blog-series>