PROGRAMS
What We Do
We provide structured support services designed to move people from crisis toward self-sufficiency.
Core Services
Family & Re-Entry Support
We provide structured support for families and individuals navigating life transitions, including re-entry and reintegration into the community.
Housing Stability Support
We assist individuals and families experiencing housing insecurity by coordinating housing resources, stabilization planning, and referrals to transitional and permanent housing options.
Resource Navigation
I Am helps individuals navigate public benefits, community programs, and supportive services through coordinated advocacy and referrals.
Employment Support
We support job readiness through resume assistance, employment referrals, skill development, and workforce partnerships designed to increase income stability.
Financial Literacy
Participants receive education in budgeting, credit awareness, financial goal setting, and responsible money management to support long-term financial resilience.
INITIATIVES
Where we focus our care
TRANSFORMATIVE HEALING
Our mission is to uplift and transform the lives of individuals and families through comprehensive support programs that foster resilience, opportunity, and a brighter future.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
We are committed to expanding access to safe, stable, and affordable housing for all. Our initiatives address the housing crisis by providing resources and support for those in need.
HOMELESSNESS & HOUSING STABILITY
We provide housing assistance, shelter, and resources to help individuals and families achieve stability.
MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
Supporting children’s growth and development through dedicated mentorship.
EMPOWERING WOMEN OVERCOMING ABUSE
We support women in rebuilding their lives through counseling, skill-building, and empowerment programs.
ADDICTION RECOVERY & SUPPORT
We assist individuals on their journey to recovery with treatment, counseling, and peer support networks.
FLAGSHIP · CREATED IN 2015
“I AM” Prison Mentor Program
Unit 1 · Who I Am: story, choices, thinking patterns, anger and stress
Founder Gregory Douglas Jetter wrote the I AM Program in 2015. Today it runs in two phases: 12 weekly group sessions inside the facility, then six months of one-on-one mentoring after release with a trained peer mentor who has walked the same road. Free to every participant.
Students move through five stages, from Incubator to Creator, earning the letters H. E. R. O. along the way.
Unit 2 · Skills for Life Outside: communication, family, money, work
Unit 3 · Going Home: a written plan for the first 72 hours and 30 days
A peer mentor’s first contact within 72 hours of release
THE I AM SYSTEM
Eight programs, one case plan
No single program can meet every need. Each participant has one I AM case plan, and every program they join contributes to it, so people can come in, build skills, give back and move forward.
“I AM” Prison Mentor Program
Prepares people for release, then peer mentoring after they come home.
Incarcerated adults and youth nearing release · 12 weekly sessions + 6 months of mentoring
Housing Initiative
A halfway house and a family safe house, with case management.
Mentor graduates; women and children who are homeless or leaving violence · up to 6–12 months
After-School Program
Homework help, mentoring and enrichment every afternoon.
Students in grades K–12 · daily, September–June
Adult Education Workshops
Math, reading, writing, science and social studies toward a high school equivalency diploma.
Adults 21+ · 24-week cycle, two evenings a week
College & Career Training
Explore 16 career clusters, choose a path, build a resume, practice interviews, meet a mentor.
Ages 16+, including program graduates · 16 weekly sessions
Neighborhood Refurbishment
Trained crews clean, paint, plant and repair in our highest-need neighborhoods.
Graduates, residents, youth, volunteers · two project days a month
Psychological Development
A wellness education group with licensed clinical oversight, and referral to counseling.
Adults; parents concerned about a child · 10 weekly sessions
Legal & Political Advocacy
Know-your-rights workshops, legal referral, record-clearing information and nonpartisan civic engagement.
All participants and community members · ongoing + a 6-workshop series
ONE JOURNEY THROUGH I AM
A man coming home from prison
An illustration of how the programs connect, not a real person’s story.
1
Joins the Prison Mentor Program 8 months before release and writes his reentry plan.
2
Has nowhere safe to live, so he’s referred to the I AM halfway house.
3
Moves in on release day; his peer mentor calls within 72 hours.
4
Finishes his diploma in Adult Education and learns whether his record can be cleared.
5
Joins a Neighborhood Refurbishment crew, then Career Training in the construction trades.
6
Moves into his own apartment, and a year later returns as a peer mentor.
Where we work
Based in Stamford, Connecticut, I Am serves the communities hit hardest by instability across four states.
Connecticut · New York · New Jersey · Massachusetts
Looking ahead
I Am plans to launch social enterprises owned by the Trust, such as cleaning, landscaping, moving, catering, apparel and real estate. Their profits will help sustain our programs and create jobs for participants.
These are future goals and are not yet operating.
Frequently asked questions
Who can receive services?
We serve people facing barriers to stability, including limited income, financial challenges, re-entry into the community, or lack of access to coordinated resources. We prioritize those ready to engage in structured support.
Is there a cost to participants?
No. All I AM programs and services are free to participants.
Who can join the Prison Mentor Program?
Adults and youth in partner facilities with an expected release within 3 to 12 months, approved by facility staff, who commit to all 12 sessions and to mentoring after release. Reading support is provided.
How do I get help?
Call (203) 716-1330, email info@iamcommunitytrust.org, or use our contact form. Our team will guide you toward the right resources and next steps.
How can my organization partner with I Am?
We work with community organizations, faith-based institutions, employers and funders. Visit Get Involved or contact us to start the conversation.