A MISSION TO SAVE
After surviving his own tough times, Rev. Dancy found his life’s work in helping troubled youth
— In 1973, the Rev. Albert Ray Dancy was sentenced to four years in prison; now, he visits penal institutions by choice.
In fact, the 68-year-old has spent the last 30 years volunteering in prisons — leading Bible study and worship groups — and acting as a mentor to men reintegrating into the community after incarceration.
His desire to help youth and adults in the criminal justice system stems from his own expeNORWALK riences.
After suffering abuse as a child, he said he turned to drugs and alcohol at a young age. At 23, he was convicted of armed robbery and served three years out of his four-year sentence behind bars at Somers Correctional Facility in New York, now Osborn Correctional Institute.
“By all standards, I shouldn’t even be here with the abuse as a child, being in and out of prison, having a drug and alcohol addition, I shouldn’t be here,” said Dancy, who lives in Darien. “But there is redemption; there is hope not only for our young people but adults that are struggling with those kinds of issues. In my latter years, I really want to trumpet that message because it needs to be trumpeted.”
To further his reach, Dancy accepted a role in 2007 as executive director at Saving All Vessels Equally, Inc. He had a
spent a year volunteering with the Norwalk nonprofit that formed in 2006 to help youth involved in gang-related violence, while empowering their parents and connecting clergy leaders with youth for one-on-one counseling.
Looking back over his 14-year tenure at SAVE, Dancy said one of his biggest success stories came out of the academic and mentoring group, Pen(itentiary) or Pencil. The nationwide initiative helps young people stay on track with school and avoid jail or prison. Students receive a stipend, extra credit, support with legal proceedings and help with suspension or expulsion meetings.
While Dancy was recruiting at Richard C. Briggs High School — later called Norwalk Pathways Academy at Briggs, which ceased last year — he was introduced to then-16-yearold David Davis.
Davis agreed to participate, eventually going on to become a leader in one of SAVE’s other programs, Youth Council for Justice.
“I made a lot of connections for the future,” Davis said. “It really gave me a sense of potential in my mind because before that I never had a job.”
Davis said SAVE helped
him to establish a positive relationship with city and law enforcement officials while leading public forums and learning how to write grants.
Now 21, Davis said his goal is to receive his GED and find a social justice job to fight inequality among youths.
Inspired by her son’s progress, Davis’ mother, Nicole Davis, joined SAVE’s board in 2015.
“I believe this experience that he’s going through and his experience at SAVE has helped him to figure out what he wants to do with his life and helped him have some goals for himself,” she said. “I’ve seen other children whose lives have been turned around.”
It is because of the help provided to people such as Davis that Dancy is being honored for his 14 years of service at SAVE’s Justice Sunday event, which occurs annually nationwide the day before Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The gathering, which is open to the public, commemorates King’s work and singles out people for their extraordinary service.
Dancy’s 14 years of services, including more than a decade as executive director of SAVE — he stepped down in August, making way for Pamela Y. George — will be recognized Sunday at 11 a.m. at Canaan Baptist
“By all standards, I shouldn’t even be here with the abuse as a child, being in and out of prison, having a drug and alcohol addition, I shouldn’t be here. But there is redemption; there is hope not only for our young people but adults that are struggling with those kinds of issues.” the Rev. Albert Ray Dancy
Church, 31 Concord St.
“I felt like 10 years was a sufficient amount of time,” Dancy said. “I wanted to focus more on adult offenders and positioning myself to provide resources to adult offenders.”
Dancy said he will dedicate his time to working on a master’s degree in criminal justice and teaching college courses to inmates at York Correctional Institution and Cheshire Correctional Institution. But Dancy still plans to continue his service at SAVE in other capacities.
“He’s a big-hearted man who sticks by his morals,” Davis said. “He gave many youths in our town the same opportunities he gave me. Not all of them have utilized it to the same extent but he gave us all the opportunity nonetheless.”