Second Chance Tucson Is Focus of MOAA September Dinner Meeting

Peggy McGee

After a summer break from social events, the Green Valley Chapter, Military Officers Association (MOAA), will start off the fall season with a dinner in the El Dorado Room in the La Perla building on the La Posada campus. The event on Sept. 19 will start with cocktails at 5 p.m., with dinner being served at 5:30 p.m.

Veronica Torres will be the guest speaker at the dinner. After being incarcerated for several years, Veronica now represents the organization Second Chance Tucson (SCT), which is a coalition of nonprofit, faith-based, governmental, and law enforcement agencies and employers. Their focus is on reducing recidivism and increasing community awareness about reentry, with an emphasis on employment. They do this through a combination of community education, volunteerism, and employment outreach.

Second Chance Tucson was inspired by former Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Pyle. It began as an idea the Mayor and Judge had to hold a reentry forum in 2014 to celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the Second Chance Act (federal legislation that funds reentry programs), and it has grown from there.

Veronica will be accompanied by one of the co-founders of SCT, now retired U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Pyle.

The group hosts forums to help raise awareness about reentry and the challenges returning citizens face. The focus is on why it is important to our entire community that returning citizens are successful.

The cost of the dinner will be $43 and will have three dinner choices: Chicken Cordon Bleu, Grilled Mahi-Mahi, or Vegan Salisbury Steak. Please contact Quail Creek resident Peggy McGee at [email protected] or 520-207-6188 to reserve your spot.