Offender Aid & Restoration will mark a half-century of service during an open house slated for Oct. 23.
“We are also excited to showcase our newly remodeled space, honor your support of OAR and share more about the journey,” the organization said in asking supporters to save the date.
Additional details and RSVP information will be provided soon.
OAR’s social-safety-net services (which cover Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church) provide support to those who are, or may become, involved in the criminal-justice system.
OAR’s roots date to 1974, when people from local faith communities who were volunteering in a local jail banded together to provide mentoring and job-search assistance to those housed there. The organization received its first public funding (from the Arlington County government) in 1981.
Nationally, the offender-aid-and-restoration movement can trace its roots to efforts occurring in Charlottesville following a 1968 prison riot, which aimed to break the cycle of recidivism that made incarceration a revolving door for many.
For information on the local effort, see the Website at www.oaronline.org.
