Diane Gaines

Chief Executive Director The Woman’s Opportunity Rehabilitation Center

I grew up in Jamaica, Queens, a tough part of New York City. My interest in criminal justice began when my 18-year-old cousin was arrested. As I watched him navigate the system, I also witnessed the toll it took on our entire family. I saw firsthand the injustices within the criminal justice system, particularly for young Black men. I learned quickly that there was no true “plea bargain” and became determined to help individuals entangled in the justice system.

At 24, my life changed dramatically when I suffered a spinal cord injury that left me an incomplete quadriplegic, requiring the use of a motorized wheelchair. After leaving rehabilitation in Long Beach, California, I enrolled in a local community college, determined to focus on my abilities rather than my disability. I earned my associate degree and went on to California State University, Long Beach, where I graduated with honors and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice/Correctional Counseling.

After returning to New York, I began working as a counselor and advocate for individuals with disabilities, later transitioning into the criminal justice field. I completed postgraduate studies in addiction counseling and became a NYS Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC). In 2015, I also became a NYS Certified Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS). My career included teaching as an Adjunct Professor at C.W. Post College, Long Island University, and serving as Director of the Women’s Opportunity Resource Center (WORC) under EAC for 25 years. I also consulted on EAC programs such as the Stop Lift Program for first-time shoplifters and Project Support for non-custodial parents’ delinquent in child support.

When EAC closed WORC in 2010 due to budget cuts, I knew the work had to continue. Later that year, I founded the Woman’s Opportunity Rehabilitation Center, an independent nonprofit that continues to operate with the support of grants and community donations. The WORC program provides women with an alternative to incarceration, allowing them to pay their debt to society without being separated from their children—saving taxpayers money and reducing the number of children placed in foster care. Our logo, the butterfly, symbolizes transformation: women enter the program as caterpillars, and through hard work, perseverance, and healing, emerge as strong and beautiful butterflies.

Over the years, I have been humbled to receive numerous awards and recognition for my work, including being featured in Newsday as an “Everyday Hero,” honored on the Long Island Press Power List as one of the “50 Most Influential People on Long Island,” and highlighted on Channel 12’s “Making a Difference.” My greatest honor came when I was chosen from more than 600 applicants to receive the national Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leader Award.

Under my leadership, WORC has expanded into a comprehensive organization with programs that include:

  • WORC Afterschool Academy – Funded by Children’s Hope India, this program provides tutoring, homework assistance, and STEM enrichment for children whose mothers have been involved in the justice system. WORC Afterschool Academy has expanded to provide homework and tutoring assistance to children within the Town of Hempstead communities. Incorporated into the Academy is a S.T.E.A.M. component to introduce students to the science, math, and technology fields. This program operates Monday through Thursday from 3pm-6pm.

  • WORC STOP Program – Supporting African American and Latinx women in Nassau County impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking.

  • WORC Justice Services – Offering trauma-informed care, case management, educational advocacy, GED classes, workforce development, and cultural enrichment for at-risk youth and justice-involved young people.

  • WORC PAY (Prevention of At-Risk Youth) – Serving youth ages 16–24 who are out of school, this program provides vocational training, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, employment readiness, and post-secondary preparation.

  • WORC GYRL – Focused on girls and young women at risk of detention, offering support around trauma, truancy, mental health, substance use, legal literacy, financial literacy, and cultural engagement.

It is hard to believe that it has been fifteen years since WORC first opened its doors. Throughout this journey, I have learned that I receive back tenfold what I give. Our clients are survivors—women who have faced victimization, adversity, and hardship, yet continue to rise, heal, and create positive change. Their resilience is what inspires me every day.