EPOCA

Victoria Binney

Vikki is a four-year veteran and former President of EPOCA. She has played key roles in almost every critical moment in our history, and continues to today. Vikki was one of the members who first opened Senator Harriette Chandler’s eyes to the overwhelmingly crushing power of the CORI four years ago, and Sen. Chandler is the lead sponsor of our CORI reform bill today. Similarly, it was Vikki who posed the question to City Council candidates 18 months ago whether they would support a Fair CORI Practices ordinance. She has graduated from school as a beautician and barber, and is looking forward to running her own business one day soon. Vikki is 25 years old and Caucasian.

Juan Otero

Juan first heard of EPOCA when he secured a job at Atlas Box Company through our New Leaf Program. He became an active leader when internal personnel changes caused his company to drop the program and fire all the New Leaf employees. Since then, he has dedicated himself to recruiting new employers and speaking up for the rights of people with CORI’s. For the last nine months, he has dedicated himself tirelessly to developing our Empower Energy Cooperative, to which he brings an overwhelming work ethic and intellectual ability. Juan is 31 years old and Latino.

Melitza Rivera

Melitza has been a member of EPOCA for less than a month, but she has already distinguished herself as a leader. She became involved through the New Leaf program, where she is seeking to begin a new career because a non-conviction on her CORI has ruined her 8-year career in child development. Less than a week after joining EPOCA, she attended a press conference for Governor Patrick’s new CORI reform bill, and she had the courage to ask the question no one else asked: “what good does any of this do, if people can’t even get past the criminal history question on the application, and why does the Governor’s bill not ban that question?” Melitza is 26 years old and Latina.

Lucia Alfaro

Lucia came to EPOCA four months ago through an educational event about CORI organized by EPOCA and the Pleasant Street Neighborhood Network Center, where she has been doing community work since she was 14. She was interested in CORI because she has seen the impact it has had in her family and in her neighborhood. When she attended her first EPOCA meeting, she was immediately drawn by the strong relationships created by our one-to-one’s, and has been a dedicated leader ever since. Lucia is a student at Assumption College, is 20 years old and was born in El Salvador.

Lonnie Goyette

Lonnie has spent most of his life overcoming disability and mistreatment by everyone from foster homes to prison guards. He has become a leader in EPOCA since becoming involved a year ago, and he inspires everyone he meets with his unbending dedication to the cause. Lonnie is one of the key players in the effort to build Empower. He is 42 years old and Caucasian, and just finished a term on EPOCA’s Board of Directors.

Prince Dennis

Despite being deeply interested and knowledgeable about American politics, Prince never became actively involved until he joined EPOCA two years ago. He came through the New Leaf program, where he was trying to overcome a CORI from a “not-guilty” verdict that had cost him his job of eight years as a youth counselor. From his first day with EPOCA, when he went to the State House for the first time, he has been a tireless proponent of hard work and perseverance on both the individual and collective levels. He inspires other members with his diligence, having decided to pick himself up and change careers by studying to become an HVAC technician. Prince is a 31 year old former EPOCA Board member, and is an immigrant from Liberia.