Educational Fund for Zion Smart

There was simply no one like Jerry; to know him was to love him. He was a man deeply dedicated to the cause that we all work toward- the realization of human dignity and the end of mass incarceration. He was dedicated to improving the city of New Haven and to helping everyone coming back from prison or jail find their path. Jerry was truly the North Star of our Transitions Clinic Network program. As a senior community health worker, he not only provided direct care to people just released from incarceration, but also taught community health workers and health professionals all over the country, through his work at Yale School of Medicine. His reach and work have been transformative - people across the country are mourning his loss.

For more than a decade, he brought a profound amount of joy, calm, fortitude, style, and energy to our work. There are few people that have the rare combination of understanding life’s complexities - that we are simultaneously beautiful and fallible - and the steadiness to take on the enormity of the task of helping others see this truth as well. The work that we do is hard - but Jerry always showed up, dedicated and humble, presented the best of himself, and with that, forced us all to show up and be our best. Right now, it feels unimaginable that we can continue to do this work without him, but we will continue to do it in his honor.

Jerry leaves behind a son, Zion, who was his light, and parenting was the accomplishment he was most proud of. There was no single thing more important to Jerry than the wellbeing of his son, and most immediately, his plan to get Zion to college. We had been relishing with Jerry his plans to take Zion, a high school senior, on a college tour this fall and brainstorming how to save for Zion’s college tuition and board. Even with Jerry gone, we are committed to helping Zion through college. We have set up a college fund for Zion that will help cover college trips and applications, supplies, tuition, and other expenses.

If you are moved to contribute, we thank you.

Rest in power, Jerry.