Today we’d like to introduce you to Renee Curry.
Renee, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
After losing my mom to cancer in 2014 and taking on her role as executive director of Center for Empowered Families (CEF), one of her closest friends said: “Renee, what your mom accomplished was her legacy, those were her achievements. It is not passed down to you like a family heirloom. The legacy you claim, must evolve from your own hard work and commitment to the community.” This led to my decision to apply the skills my mother used to establish a legacy that positively affected so many people, but to move forward with my own ideas.
In 2006 my mother, Dr. Sharon Jacques-Rabb founded CEF after closing her private clinical practice. My mom knew all too well what neglect, abandonment, and lack of resources meant to an individual, not to mention an entire community. She was raised in the foster care system of Los Angeles. I was inspired by witnessing my mother’s hard work ethic, and her desire to connect with low-income communities. I choose to continue the work of improving the mental health and coping skills of marginalized young communities in Los Angeles County.
Today, I have been in the executive director role at CEF for over 3 years. In my first year in this role, I knew that I needed to push myself to work through my grieving process. Eventually, I began to replace feeling abandoned, with encouraging affirmations that my mom was observing my journey through the skills she left me. In 2016, I brought the pilot therapeutic ballet class to Los Angeles County Juvenile Hall’s Eastlake Facility. Unlike many traditional trauma recovery methods like teaching, dance is a self-soothing method that makes participants feel responsible for their own mental and physical health. Through therapeutic dance, young victims of human trafficking learn how to re-take control of their bodies. CEF introduced ballet through our mentorship program and now we provide professional training through a partnership with Pony Box Dance Theatre called Dance for Healing. Our program has enabled more than 150 incarcerated youth to learn self-healing skills and empowered them to regain control of their identities.
I have personally worked alongside the Los Angeles County Probation Department’s youth in detention centers, camps and school-based programs for more than 12 years. CEF has also been a frequent provider of a myriad of therapeutic services to incarcerated youth like the Dance for Healing Project for even longer. In 2010, my mom and I co-authored the first evidence-based Teen Fatherhood program for the Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall. As a part of CEF’s services, we follow-up and stay engaged with youth from our programs. Upon their release back into society, CEF maintains mentorships with them, pays for their membership in certain arts programs, and more. On April 22, 2018, CEF and Pony Box Dance Theatre’s, The Dance for Healing Project, was the first to provide youth participants being detained at an LA County Probation camp, with an off-site field trip to a Ballet Theatre Performance at Downtown LA’s Music Center.
Our goal at CEF, is to mobilize its holistic mental health treatments for underserved and marginalized youth in hospitals and those in health-focused centers in Los Angeles County. Moreover, to address these mental health disparities and to mitigate the stigma of therapy found in underserved and marginalized communities, CEF is planning to open non-traditional pop-up clinics throughout Los Angeles County in addition to continuing to mobilize therapeutic services in low-income communities without resources.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
While it is true that many of the youth we serve have histories of experience with complex traumas, I often find myself reminding them that they are great in many ways, and everything about them doesn’t need changing. I think they most frequently hear that they need to be fixed. But if that is a constant message and the core framework of every teaching moment, that one must change who they are or be fixed, we miss opportunities to discern the gifts and achievements of our participants. In youth detention centers particularly, I have observed youth with tremendous talent, and even during acts of kindness towards their peers.
In communities like Watts, I have seen kids problem-solve with friendships, share their favorite snacks, and speak up for others who couldn’t find their voice to properly articulate their feelings. I have also observed them support their community leaders, and celebrate others with song, dance and poetry. I have seen them dance eloquently, and independently strive to lead performances without direction. I frequently imagine sometimes me holding a mirror, for them to see their reflection differently then what they’ve been told.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Center for the Empowerment of Families, Inc. – what should we know?
Center for the Empowerment of Families, Inc. is a non-profit established in 2006 by my mother, Dr. Sharon Jacques Rabb. We provide therapeutic mentorship and programming to youth and their immediate support systems. This means that we believe in establishing trust-building relationships with our participants and their caregivers to enable easier pathways to their learning healthy coping skills and sustaining these skills long term. We use a model that requires learning objectives per session, progress assessment, and evaluations.
We also engage our youth participants with art activities and bring in influential guest speakers who demonstrate resiliency. I am the executive director of CEF and Co-founder of The Dance for Healing Project. CEF specializes in mentorship outreach for marginalized communities in Los Angeles County Juvenile Halls and Campsites, detention centers, low testing schools in Los Angeles; and we work with community & faith-based organizations. I think our values to uphold credibility for our teachers and mentors and separates us from others.
We also have peer advocates for youth participants to learn from same-age survivors with similar challenges and backgrounds. This has been a dual-learning benefit for all youth involved. Peer advocates learn to pay-it-forward, and participants establish lessons of gratitude.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My mother for founding the organization that has thrived in her legacy, and for allowing me to shadow and actively participate in all areas of the business, including facilitating and curriculum development.
My family for supporting me with all fundraising and event planning. Also, Arts for Incarcerated Youth Network for choosing The Dance for Healing Project as a member.
Contact Info:
- Address: 127 South Brand Avenue Suite 201 Glendale CA 91204
- Website: empoweredfamily.org and danceforhealingproject.org
- Phone: 8183955755
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DanceforHealingProject/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CenterForTheEmpowermentofFamilies/
Image Credit:
zealous photography
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