Press

Press

MEDIA INQUIRIES: Please contact Rubicon's Communications department at (925) 330-4733 or email.

Rubicon in the News

East Bay Times: Share the Spirit: Woman’s career goal back on track thanks to Rubicon Programs

December 2023

RICHMOND — Warnisha Smith knew she had to dramatically change her life — not only for herself but for her children, ages 4 and 6.

Hampered by an incorrectly listed criminal charge on a pre-employment background check, the 28-year-old single mother was having trouble finding permanent work. Her hopes for the future were fading: She once dreamed of being able to open her own care facility for the elderly and disabled.

She heard about Rubicon Programs from a family friend and went to the Richmond-based organization in 2019 to get back on her feet and connect to resources that would help her move forward.

The Richmond Standard: Reentry Success Center to unveil ‘Art of Peace Richmond’ sculpture

April 2023

Richmond’s Reentry Success Center (RSC), which helps justice-impacted people and their families with free services, is unveiling an “Art of Peace Richmond” sculpture 11 a.m. Sat., April 29 at the center, 912 Macdonald Ave. in Richmond.

The sculpture, the creation of which was led by artist Maxon Zorro McCarter and members of RSC’s Restorative Art Program, was made using decommissioned firearms from Richmond buyback programs and guns obtained as evidence in statewide California crimes, per Rubicon Programs, which runs RSC.

SiliconValley.com: Antioch approves operating agreement for new cannabis business

January 2023

Natural Supplements, a cannabis cultivation, manufacture, retail and distribution business, has been approved by Antioch’s City Council.

The council OK’d the operating agreement Tuesday on a 3-to-2 vote, with Councilmembers Lori Ogorchock and Mike Barbanica dissenting.

City Attorney Thomas Smith said the operating agreement provides benefits to the city in several ways, including fees that increase each year for the first four years.

Under the 10-year operating agreement, which includes two possible five-year extensions, the operator will pay a percentage of its gross revenue to the city each month.

Another benefit to the city, Smith said, is in a social equity program that’s attached to the agreement, in which the business helps support a local nonprofit.

“The social equity program gives the business a chance to give back to the community,” Smith said.

Under the agreement, the operator has chosen Rubicon Programs, an anti-poverty program that provides workforce services to justice-impacted job seekers, many of whom were formerly incarcerated and impacted by the War on Drugs.

Press Releases

Art of Peace Richmond: Reentry Success Center to Unveil Artwork Created from Repurposed Guns

April 2023

RICHMOND, CA – The Reentry Success Center (RSC) will publicly unveil a new Art of Peace Richmond sculpture created by two members of the RSC’s Restorative Art Program and local artist Maxon Zorro McCarter. The new permanent installment was produced using decommissioned firearms that were sourced from previous Richmond buyback programs and guns taken as evidence in crimes throughout California. The first of its kind in Richmond, this installation is the newest in a series of Art of Peace projects completed across the Bay Area.

Curtis, one of the RSC members who designed the art piece, decided to join the project because of his close ties to the RSC and Richmond. Director of the RSC Pat Mims contacted Curtis immediately after his release from incarceration in September 2020 and encouraged him to connect with the men’s group, Restorative Art Program, and other resources. “I trusted Pat because of all the support the RSC gave me after I got out,” Curtis says. “I think I designed a piece that really represents the entire City of Richmond.”

The unveiling celebration will take place at the RSC at 912 Macdonald Ave., Richmond on April 29 at 11:00 AM. Members of the public, community and civic leaders, and members of the press are welcome and encouraged to attend, and complimentary tickets are available on this website. This public art will be an enduring reminder about the impacts of all types of gun violence in our community, as well as symbols of community healing that open conversations focused on unity and peace for all.

Guns for the project were donated by the Robby Poblete Foundation. Art of Peace Richmond was a community service project of the Rotary Club of Richmond. Funding was provided by a grant from the Rotary District 5160 Foundation, with storage and studio space provided by Bridge Storage, Arts and Events.

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Rubicon Participants Create a Path to Housing for Richmond Families

September 2022

RICHMOND, CA – When members of the Richmond City Council return from their August recess this evening, they are expected to vote on a $400,000 budget item to provide housing for families experiencing homelessness. If it passes, the funding will allow a project started by members of Rubicon’s Participant Advisory Board (PAB), in partnership with Tom Herriman, Housing First Coordinator for the Rotary Club of Richmond, to continue connecting unhoused residents with long-term rental units. Families that are chosen for the project receive furnished housing with one year of rent paid upfront; in addition, Rubicon and other community-based programs provide the housing recipients with social support, financial coaching, pro bono legal counsel, and employment assistance as needed.

New Returning Home Career Grant Pilot Program to Improve Life Outcomes for Justice-Involved Adults

February 2022

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA – Rubicon Programs, as the lead agency in the Better Careers Design Group (BCDG), will launch the pilot of the Returning Home Career Grant this month to support at least fifteen justice-involved adults in Alameda County. Collaborating on this project since 2020, the BCDG is a partnership composed of five prominent organizations: Rubicon Programs, Alameda County Workforce Development Board, Growth Sector, Alameda County Probation Department, and Third Sector. With seed support from the James Irvine Foundation, the project features two primary components aimed at improving quality of life and economic outcomes for adults who are returning home from incarceration.