In Memoriam: Vanee Sykes
January 17, 1967—MAY 22, 2020
Vanee was committed to improving reentry for formerly incarcerated women. She was to be the National Director of Community Outreach. In her honor, we will be raising money for a building to house 100 newly released women, The Vanee Sykes House for Women.
Vanee Sykes (she/her) joined Witness with over eight years of nonprofit and more than 20 years of NYC government experience.
In November 2011, Vanee was sentenced to 63 months in Federal Prison. As a mother of three children, it was during this time that the plight of incarcerated women and their children took center stage in her life. As the founder of Red Tag Ministries—“Ministering through the Racks,” whose mission is to provide formerly incarcerated ladies with garments to transcend back into the workplace—she learned of this need firsthand while ministering to ladies inside prison. Vanee, along with her daughter Alexis, launched “Lexi’s Promise: The ultimate prom experience for a ‘Princess’ with an incarcerated parent.” Their mission was to make dreams come true, one prom dress at a time.
As the co-founder of Hope House NYC, Vanee created a safe housing space for women impacted by the Criminal Justice Center. Serving as a Program Director she implemented a model of care that encompassed economic, educational and emotional empowerment. Vanee was also the Executive Director of Dream House NYC, a holistic housing model created to empower women through informed care. She served on the Reentry Task Force of Community Board 9.
Vanee held a BA degree from American College of Applied Arts, Atlanta GA, and a Paralegal Certificate from Blackstone Career Institute, Allentown, PA.