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About Us

 

   New Legacy

 

Who We Are

The New Legacy Reentry Corporation is a faith based community organization that is committed to breaking the cycle of chronic recidivism for male ex-offenders who were previously incarcerated for nonviolent, nonsexual crimes. New Legacy provides a holistic approach that not only attends to the needs of the ex-offender who faces joblessness, homelessness, and hopelessness, as well as facilitating the reunification with family. Currently, our organization offers a twelve to twenty-four-month residential program that addresses the societal stigma and challenges that veteran and non-veteran ex-offenders face as they find substantive ways to integrate successfully back into mainstream society. The components are as follows: Spirituality, Apprenticeship and Employment Opportunities, Vocational Education, Mentoring/Coaching, Case Management/Support Services, Personal Development, Family and Life Skills Training, and Community Service.

It Started With A Thought

Paul and Gisela Nelson started a small drywall company in 1998 located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Nelson’s Drywall grew quickly and became a fully insured corporation called Level of Excellence Construction Company, Inc. While in Pittsburgh Level of Excellence procured contracts with commercial projects such as restaurants, office buildings leading the way to become the main contractor for Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) faculty and student housing revitalization projects.
The Nelson’s were members of the Black Contractor’s Association of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the Association hosted a day program that matched at-risk-youth with small local construction companies. A majority of these youth were involved with the justice system at some point in their young lives.
This program focused on teaching the academics of the construction trade industry while giving the opportunity to work alongside experienced industry professionals. Mr. Ben Mooney, a professional electrician, military veteran and entrepreneur headed the program called Youth Construction Initiative.
YCI was a successful training program that Mr. Mooney and the Nelson’s believed was missing one critical piece…residential.
In 2004 the Nelsons moved to Louisville, Kentucky to care for Mrs. Nelson’s ageing parents, and continue the work of Level of Excellence Construction. Being a new company in a new city commercial jobs were more difficult to obtain so residential basements became their company specialty.
Longing to finish what they had started the Nelson desired to create a program similar to YCI but would target older individuals coming right out of prison or jail and would add the residential component so that support could be given around the clock. In 2011 New Legacy Reentry Corp. was born.

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