Cypress House is founded on the aspiration to help previously incarcerated people get back on their feet through employment, vocational training, and educational opportunities at our future central-city bakery and café.
According to the 2015 Vera report, Incarceration’s Front Door, minorities are jailed at four times the rate of white people nationally. In Lackawanna County, minorities are jailed at more than 12 times the rate of white people. The local re-entry task force indicates that despite an incarceration population of over 1000, only 50-60 supportive employment opportunities exist in the community.
“It’s the idea of rebirth, new chances, and fresh starts.”
– The Reverend Rebecca A. Barnes, Rector of St. Luke’s
President and CEO of Cypress House
The cypress tree has historically symbolized transformation, providing shade and relief for those in distress. Similarly, Cypress House at St. Luke’s seeks to offer a compassionate response to human suffering, assisting those in need on their journeys toward new lives.