A Message of Thanks - A Message from our Executive Director

As we approach the close of 2025, I want to pause and say thank you.

This December alone, we have received an incredible outpouring of generosity, and I am deeply grateful to every person and foundation who chose to support the Hartford Community Restorative Justice Center during this season of giving. Your generosity sustains this work in very real and tangible ways.

With special thanks to our donors

I want to offer special thanks to The Emily Landecker Foundation, The Wee Wood Foundation, Bill Brawley and Suzanne Simon, Alanna Ojibway, Kevin and Lynne O’Hara, and Susan Johnson, along with the many others who gave quietly, consistently, and with care. Every gift, large and small, reflects a shared belief in accountability, dignity, and the power of community-based solutions.

This year has also been one of meaningful impact.

Through our Transitional Housing Program, we housed and supported more than 20 individuals, offering stability, safety, and a real chance to rebuild. That is more than 20 lives positively impacted, families strengthened, and futures redirected.

Our Reparative Panel Program supported over 40 individuals this year, guiding people who have caused harm through a restorative process rooted in accountability and repair. When harmed parties choose to participate, we work to ensure their voice, needs, and safety are centered, and that they can help shape what accountability looks like. These panels help participants understand the impact of their actions, take meaningful responsibility, and follow through on concrete steps toward repair, contributing to safer outcomes for individuals, families, and the broader community.

Through our Reentry Navigation Program, we worked closely with approximately 25 individuals returning to the community after incarceration. This work often happens quietly, but it is essential, helping people connect to healthcare, housing, identification, employment resources, and other basic supports that make successful reentry possible.

Our Circles of Peace and Circles of Peace Youth programs also continued to grow and deepen this year. Together, we supported 15 participants, both adults and young people, through a restorative, trauma-informed domestic violence accountability program that centers responsibility, safety, and meaningful behavior change. Alongside this work, we support victims and survivors by prioritizing safety planning, honoring their choices, and helping connect them to resources and ongoing support. Generously supported by the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, these circles create space for participants to reflect on harm, understand its impact, and develop the skills needed to interrupt cycles of violence and move forward in healthier ways.

Honoring leadership

I also want to take a moment to honor Martha McLafferty, whose steady leadership, deep care, and unwavering commitment have shaped the Hartford Community Restorative Justice Center in lasting ways. Martha retired this past summer after years of dedicated service, and her presence, wisdom, and belief in this work continue to be felt throughout the organization. We are deeply grateful for the foundation she helped build and for the countless lives she touched along the way.

Looking ahead

As we look ahead to the new year, I carry deep gratitude for this community of supporters, volunteers, staff, and partners. Thank you for believing in restorative justice and for standing with us as we work toward safer, more accountable, and more compassionate communities.

With appreciation,

Larry Blake Harvey
Executive Director
Hartford Community Restorative Justice Center

Photos by Isaac Lorton