As a socialist, I’m steadfast in my stance that the prison industrial complex and the carceral system as a whole needs to be abolished. Hundreds of thousands of people and their families suffer due to the structural reliance on placing people behind bars rather than fixing the root causes of incarceration, including how marginalized people are over-policed and underserved. 

That’s why I’m excited to be raising money for the Women Prison’s Association (WPA), an organization that helps women and LGTBQIA+ individuals before, during, and after incarceration. Not only does WPA support their clients in a community-based and trauma-informed way, but they also advocate for a future where incarceration is obsolete. As a native New Yorker, I’ve seen the effects of gentrification and overpolicing destroy historically Black and brown neighborhoods, so I’m proud of the work WPA does and hope to see similar initiatives take root across the country.

This will be my first marathon and I can’t express how emotional it will be to hit that milestone in my hometown. Over the past five years I’ve grown physically and mentally stronger, and completing the 2025 NYC Marathon will be an incredible feat of athleticism and perseverance in my favorite place in the world, cheered on by friends, family, and strangers alike. 

I hope to raise $3,000 by race day, and any bit of support counts! Some of the programs that can be funded through your generosity include:

• Alternatives to incarceration, where clients can return to, or stay in, their communities rather than serving time in jail or prison
• Providing fundamental resources, such as housing, medical care, hygiene items, childcare resources, and more
• Art programs for clients to transform jail cells and shelter walls into galleries of self-expression
• Counseling to heal from trauma and to co-create a vision for clients’ futures

Share this fundraiser with your friends, family, and co-workers, and I hope to see you along the route on race day!