New Hour - About Us

This is My New Hour

New Hour was founded to provide meaningful support to current and formerly incarcerated women, their children and families. We build community to promote successful re-entry and lasting reintegration, and to reform unjust criminal justice system policies. We empower directly impacted people to utilize their lived experiences to create lasting reforms to the carceral system.

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Our Funders

A New Way of Life
Belzer Charitable Trust
Capital One Giving
The Charles T. Bauer Family Foundation
Circle for Justice Innovations
David Rockefeller Fund
FREE Her
FWD.us
The Jewish Communal Fund, Malka Fund
Galaxy Gives
The Good Neighbors Fund
The Horace and Amy Hagedorn Fund
The Knapp-Swezey Foundation
Laura B. Vogler Foundation, Inc.
Long Island Racial Equity Donor Collaborative
LICF’s Long Island Unitarian Universalist Fund
New York Community Trust
Serving USA
The New York Women's Foundation
The Patrina Foundation
The Sunshine Foundation
Together Rising
UU Congregation Shelter Rock Women’s Committee

Our History

In 2013, a small group of volunteers began mentoring women in the Riverhead Correctional Facility. One of the volunteers was Mrs. Patty Kraus. She and others quickly realized there were almost no re-entry or supportive services for women. As a result Mrs. Kraus and her husband, Mr. George Kraus, became New Hour's founding donors after being introduced to Serena Liguori through Sister Tesa Fitzgerald of Hour Children. Ms. Liguori developed a vision plan which, with the help of the Krauses' generous seed funding and founding board members, created New Hour.

Programs & Flyers

New Hour General Flyer | General Flyer Español
Weekly Jail Programming in both Nassau & Suffolk Facilities
Monthly Empowerment Support Groups
15-Week Advocacy & Empowerment Program EMERGE
Financial Education Workshops
New Hour 2020 Program Participation Statistics
Join the Long Island Social Justice Action Network (LISJAN)
#Project Dignity
Back to School Assistance
Holiday Assistance - Flyer Coming Soon!

Our Vision

New Hour's vision is to empower justice impacted women and provide successful support for mothers and children. We recognize the critical role mothers play—often as the primary caretakers for their children. We understand the need for specialized support for mothers whose pathways to prison or jail are often tied to domestic violence or substance abuse. By providing parenting skills, work skills, and wellness programs during and after incarceration, we aim to give women the tools needed to become powerful change agents for themselves, their community and their children.