Built by lived experience!
Gary C. Barnes, whose powerful story of transformation fuels our mission, Freshstart exists to walk with people as they take their first steps toward a new beginning.
We founded this organization because we know the exact hurdles of the re-entry landscape. The days following release shouldn't be spent guessing which door to knock on. We built a high-functioning bridge to replace that chaos.
Every referral we make is vetted. We coordinate directly with housing providers, employers, and mental healthcare clinics to ensure that when you arrive, they are ready for you.
Our Staff
Rev. GC Barnes
Founder / Executive Director
(NJ Certified Drug & Alcohol Counselor Certified Trauma Specialist)
Dr. Ethel Beatty Barnes, PhD
Theater/Performing Arts Director
(Professional Artist &
“Miss Ethel’s Kids” Creator)
Cori A. Barnes
Fitness/Wellness Director
(Professional Dancer/Choreographer & “IROCFIT” Creator)
Dr. Ethel Beatty Barnes is an accomplished Broadway performer, recording artist, educator, and arts mentor whose distinguished career spans theater, music, film, and community outreach. A graduate of Long Island University’s C.W. Post College with a degree in Music Education and Vocal Performance, she has appeared in acclaimed Broadway productions including Dreamgirls, Eubie! Bubbling Brown Sugar, and Showboat, as well as numerous Off-Broadway productions. [discogs.com], [ibdb.com], [broadwayworld.com]
As a vocalist and recording artist, Dr. Barnes has shared her talents with renowned performers and musicians, including Jonathan Butler, George Benson, Billy Ocean, The Redding’s, and other notable recording artists. She has also performed alongside legendary jazz-funk pioneer Roy Ayers, contributing her exceptional vocal artistry to projects that have reached audiences worldwide. [discogs.com] Her film and documentary credits include The Cotton Club, Garbo Talks, and the Academy Award-winning documentary Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), which celebrates the historic Harlem Cultural Festival and its impact on American music and culture. [imdb.com]
As founder of Miss Ethel’s Kids, Dr. Barnes has dedicated her life to inspiring and empowering young people through music, theater, dance, and creative arts. Her programs help youth develop confidence, leadership skills, discipline, teamwork, positive self-expression, and a strong sense of purpose. Through the arts, she has encouraged countless young people to pursue their dreams while building the life skills necessary for personal and academic success.
As Theater & Performing Arts Director for Freshstart Referral Systems Inc., Dr. Barnes uses the performing arts as a powerful tool for education, healing, and personal growth. Her creative programming benefits youth, adults, and seniors by promoting self-esteem, communication skills, cultural awareness, and emotional wellness. Through workshops, performances, mentorship, and arts-based activities, she helps individuals discover their talents, strengthen their voices, and realize their full potential.
Dr. Barnes’ lifelong commitment to artistic excellence and community service continues to inspire generations, making her an invaluable leader in advancing Freshstart Referral Systems Inc.’s mission of empowerment, restoration, and hope.
Cori is a New Jersey based performing artist who started her career at a very young age acting and modeling. Her love of dance blossomed from the age of two years old through the guidance of renowned professional dancer Shirley Black Brown. She furthered her professional dance training at Sharon Miller's Academy for the Performing Arts, Newark School of the Arts, Dance Theater of Harlem, and a plethora of Legendary choreographers Louis Johnson, Maurice Hines, Carmen De Lavallade and many more. She later joined both M.A. Taylor Dance Company and UMOJA Dance Company and is now a principle member. She has performed and appeared on the renowned stages of Lincoln Center, Apollo Theater, NJPAC and the Brooklyn Museum. Cori has elevated her career as a professional ballerina, instructor, creative director and upcoming choreographer for film and stage working with musicians and music artists Lenny Harold, Sarah Charness, A-Natural and the NJ Symphony Orchestras.
Rev. Gary C. Barnes is living proof that transformation is possible. After overcoming more than 30 years of addiction and the challenges of incarceration, he turned his journey into a calling: to help others break free, rebuild, and rise. Freshstart Referral Systems Inc.is the embodiment of that calling-offering guidance, support, opportunity, and hope to those who need it most.
