Gordon Philanthropies and CDCR Celebrate the Opening of Puerta La Cruz Fire Camp’s Children’s Educational Center

SAN DIEGO, November 12, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Gordon Philanthropies (GP) and Officials from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) celebrated the grand opening of Puerta La Cruz Fire Camp’s first-of-its-kind Outdoor Children’s Educational Recreation Center. The Center offers the incarcerated women of the camp a welcoming space for creating meaningful relationships with their children. GP Founder Dan Gordon, CDCR Associate Director of Female Offender Programs and Services Angela Kent, Film Producer, and Activist Michelle Ebony Hardy, and 46 children and their incarcerated parents celebrated the opening with a ribbon cutting and Thanksgiving luncheon.

“The Outdoor Children’s Educational Recreation Center fosters connections between children and their incarcerated firefighter mothers,” said CDCR Secretary Jeff Macomber. “It offers a vibrant space for educational and recreational activities that will not impact quick emergency response during crises. This combination of engagement and safety highlights the center's commitment to a nurturing environment.”

The Center is designed to offer the incarcerated women a safe space to create healthy relationships with their children. Research suggests that strong parent-child relationships are important for preventing recidivism and helping children to overcome the challenges of having an incarcerated parent. The Center’s beautiful, open-air design includes seating and a lovely collection of age-appropriate books, games, and activities for families to enjoy. 

“Gordon Philanthropies is grateful for the courageous, selfless service of the wonderful women of Puerta La Cruz Fire Camp. Their bravery has saved thousands of lives, homes, and acres of land across the state. The building of this Outdoor Children’s Educational Recreation Center is to create effective and high-quality approaches that help close the literacy gap and support the mothers of Puerta La Cruz on their children's reading journey. We know they are heroes, not just to us and the people of California, but to their children as well,” said Dan Gordon, Founder of Gordon Philanthropies. 

The 40 incarcerated women of Puerta La Cruz Fire Camp have contributed 16,171 hours fighting fires across the State of California in 2024. Their services are part of the state’s critical front-line fire defense system. California’s 32 fire camps contributed more than 1.5 million collective hours fighting 7,026 wildfires across the state this year. Their courage was recognized with AB 2147, which “allows former non-violent incarcerated people who participate” in fire camps to have their records expunged. This has enabled participants to obtain gainful employment with CAL FIRE, the US Forest Service, and hotshot crews.

“I am so incredibly proud of and inspired by the women of Puerta La Cruz Fire Camp. These strong, caring, and courageous women put their lives on the line to protect a society that often views incarcerated people as invisible. These women serve with dignity, power, and grace, and their stories need to be heard. I am grateful to Gordon Philanthropies and the staff of Puerta La Cruz Fire Camp for their support for these women and for granting me the space to learn more of their incredible lives. It is important to remember everyone should be treated with dignity and respect, and we all deserve the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and evolve as people,” said Michelle Ebony Hardy, Film Producer and Activist. 

Gordon Philanthropies, CDCR staff, and the incarcerated women of Puerta La Cruz and their children celebrated their heroism and the opening of the Outdoor Educational Recreation Center with a lovely Thanksgiving luncheon, complete with beautiful tables, place settings, eucalyptus garland runners, fall leaves decorations, and delicious food.

To access the photos, please click the link here.

Source: Gordon Philanthropies