Save The Trenches Global Impact Center — Atlanta, GA

It’s more than a donation, together we can break the school-to-prison pipeline!

The cumulative percentage of released prisoners who returned to prison at least once during the follow-up period ranges from about 20% to 30% for these top 3 reasons:

    •    Unemployment among formerly incarcerated people is about 27% Prison Policy Initiative.

    •    About 25% lack a high school diploma, GED, or college degree Prison Policy Initiative.

    •    Homelessness or housing insecurity affects roughly 5,700 per 100,000 formerly incarcerated individuals

However, these statistics don’t apply to Armon Rashod, founder of Trenches Global Impact Center (TGIC). True to their motto “We don’t wait, we build”, Rashod acquired his childhood community center upon release. The facility is a creative workforce and youth development hub based in West Atlanta focused on building opportunities through culture, creativity, education, and entrepreneurship.  

TGIC provides hands-on exposure to garment construction, photography, videography, graphic design, podcasting, athletics, and skilled trades. The center gives youth and emerging creatives access to real-world experience and pathways toward ownership and independence. 

Thus, centers like TGIC, are essential when research on the school-to-prison pipeline shows that early school discipline and educational opportunities strongly influence long-term criminal behavior and incarceration risk. Trade skills—such as vocational training, apprenticeships, or work-based learning—can act as a protective factor by reducing the likelihood of suspensions, expulsions, and early exposure to the criminal justice system. 

TGIC is currently raising funds to help with the next phase of saving the center to encourage the youth. This includes building repairs, electrical work, HVAC, classrooms, sewing equipment, youth programming, studio setup, supplies, security, and community events.

A loss would further hinder access to opportunities for the marginalized families the center serves. Given his past, Rashod knows first hand that sports and entertainment isn’t enough to keep youth on the right path. They need financial literacy, knowledge of agricultural practices, conflict resolution and many more programs made possible by saving the Trenches Global Impact Center!