The mission of FreeNow 21 (FN21) is to empower youth and families to develop the skills, habits, and confidence needed to make healthy life choices and build thriving financial futures. Founded and led by individuals with lived experience of incarceration and community violence, the organization is grounded in a philosophy of redirection, not correction—helping people channel their ambition, resilience, and leadership toward stability and opportunity.

FN21 delivers financial literacy, life-skills education, and relationship-based mentoring for Black/African American and Latino/x youth and families, as well as incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. These communities are disproportionately impacted by economic exclusion, criminal legal system involvement, and underinvestment, yet possess deep strengths, informal networks, and cultural knowledge that shape our approach. Programming is facilitated by credible messengers who share the lived experience with participants, allowing for authentic engagement, honest dialogue, and practical guidance rooted in real-world realities.

FN21 plan to launch a Youth Advisory Council in Spring, 2026 with the intent to bring forward the voices, experiences, and wisdom of past participants into the growing design of the non-profit. Because many participants have experienced harm or exclusion from traditional institutions, engagement begins with meeting these young people where they are—physically and culturally—rather than expecting them to conform to institutionalized systems and rules. Providing former participants with the opportunity to play a leadership role in developing and leading the organization is imperative for growth of FreeNow21.