Start Anew

Assisting BIPOC women and girls who have been justice impacted and/or survivors of incarceration to transform into the change they would like to be. 

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Our Story

Welcome To Start Anew

StartAnew was founded in 2015 in Minneapolis, MN and we received our 501©3 status in September of 2019.

Cecelia Viel founded our organization because she saw the need for a different way of seeing black women and girls who were justice impacted and/or survivors of incarceration. They need to be seen as valuable and not to be discarded. They don’t have the same issues, resources, or opportunities that white women have. She also recognized that it was not just black females, but females who do not identify as white.

We at StartAnew provide that support system with our empowerment group called It’s OK 2 B U.

We also work in the community with other organizations, volunteers, and a local church to provide a way for the community to come together regardless of race, religion, sexual preference, or any other difference by hosting a community dinner on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We also sponsor a Community Holiday Store for children to be able to give gifts to their immediate families during the holidays.

Community is not defined by demographics, so all are welcome.

 

“You did what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better.”

Our Mission

Is to provide empowerment, support services, and resources to BIOC women and girls who have been impacted by the justice system, while offering them life skills and tools to crate and access better opportunities for them to become the change they want to see. 

Our Vision

Our vision is to empower BIPOC women and girls, resurrect lives, reunite families, eliminate recidivism, and help women to beocme successful role models.

Our Program

Will offer our sisters the opportunity to 

StartAnew

 

Philemon 1:11

“Who in time past was to you unprofitable, but now profitable to you and to me. 

Helping

To Improve Communities One Person At A Time

Testimonials

Start Anew! Wow Where do I begin?

I first met the founder of Start Anew, at a workshop, on a university campus. I didn’t know what to expect, due to, it being my very first time, educating myself about the prison system and the intricacies of what the “system” is all about.

After the presentation was done, it was time for the breakout sessions, where we could meet the panelists and learn from them. That’s where I met Ms. Cecelia V., and our sisterhood began there. Over the next few months, I’d come to learn and know, that I didn’t know very much about the prison industry.

After coming under the “tutelage” of Ms. Cecelia, by joining her, alongside a group of women, who meet on a weekly basis, to discuss how we can better improve ourselves, our short comings, readjusting to this “new way” of existing, because now there’s a label attached to our names. Admittedly it was a transition to say the least, but with our weekly meetings and interactions with one another, it has truly made adapting a lot easier. Having a sisterhood, so to speak where you can come and let your hair down, laugh, as well as learn how to adapt to your new way of living in society.

Start Anew, has assisted us with our deposits for new housing. Assisted with providing information on housing, starting a new job, advancing on our current jobs, learning about health and nutrition, and having an overall sisterhood, has offered a fresh breath of air, where at times it felt stagnate and immovable.

I thank Almighty God, for our meeting that day on the college campus. Not there as a university student, yet not knowing that Ms. Cecelia and Start Anew would be a new start for me and my future. I am humbly grateful to Almighty God, for Ms. Cecelia and the ladies at Start Anew.

Thank you

Sandra Abu-Bakr

Mon, Thurs, Fri

10:00am - 5:30pm

Tues
10:00am – 8:30pm

Wed
10:00am - 8:30pm

Saturday & Sunday

 Closed

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