Our Pretrial Support Team has been invited to take part in Leadership Cleveland’s Accelerate—a powerful community event that helps turn locally grounded ideas into transformative initiatives for Greater Cleveland.

Accelerate brings together everyday people with big ideas for equity, justice, and community wellbeing. On Thursday, February 26, finalists will share their visions for making Cleveland a better place to live, work, play, and belong. Attendees don’t just listen—they vote, helping determine which ideas receive funding and community backing.

Why This Matters to UUCC

Our own Pretrial Support Team, represented by Pat Dillard, has been selected to pitch in the Accelerate Core Competition – Social Change category.

The Pretrial Support Team pairs individuals facing court involvement with trained 1:1 Navigators during the period from arrest through case resolution. These Navigators offer practical, compassionate support—such as court-date reminders, transportation, childcare coordination, and connections to community services—so participants can maintain employment, housing, and family stability while addressing underlying life challenges.

This volunteer-led pilot has already shown meaningful results:

• Fewer missed court dates and bench warrants
• Reduced time spent in jail
• Lower rates of repeat offenses
• A smoother court process that also saves county resources

In short, this work supports individual dignity, community wellbeing, and systemic fairness—values deeply rooted in UUCC’s spiritual and justice commitments.

“Our volunteer nonprofit pilot project has shown that pretrial services benefit the individual, the Court, and our community. We are working for pretrial services for all to be integrated into our Cuyahoga County Court system—and we believe Accelerate can help get us there.”

How You Can Help

If Pat advances to the final round, the audience vote determines the $5,000 top award (with additional funding for runners-up). That means your presence truly matters.

You can support this work by:

• Attending the event
• Cheering on and voting for the Pretrial Support Team
• Sharing this opportunity with friends and community partners

Event Details

• Date: Thursday, February 26
• Location: Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland (300 Lakeside Ave E)
• Tickets:
  • $40 General Admission (Early Bird through Jan 31)
  • $25 Students
• All ticket levels include access to the full event

👉 Get tickets & learn more: https://www.cleveleads.org/…/accelerate/event-night-hub/

This is a meaningful chance to show up for a UUCC-connected ministry that puts compassion into action—and to help strengthen a model of justice that works for everyone. We hope you’ll consider joining us

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