TESTIMONIALS

Drop-In Center Visitors

"Thank you so much for helping me in my recent situation concerning my husband and the medical attention he needed to receive. You kept me informed and my mind at ease when everybody said they couldn't help me. Your generosity and kindness were very much appreciated. Thank you so much for your help."

"By getting my husband's check signed, I was able to pay our rent and not lose our home."

"You provided a great service for our family! Sending mail can take up to two weeks and I cannot accept collect calls! So getting an urgent message to my sister meant so much to me and even more to her! So, thank you."

"Thanks for helping me get the signature I needed to care for my grandchild while her parents were in jail."

"You have been a great resource and help to me and our family over these past few weeks your concern and dedication to my needs and that of my incarcerated husband have been a blessing. I don't think we could've made it without you. Thanks so much."

Inmate Services

"I would like to extend my appreciation and gratitude for the services you provide. In a place and situation where one feels helpless and hopeless, it is good to know that we have a friend outside that I can actually get a pair of reading glasses to help pass the time and help keep me out of trouble. Thank you."

"You guys have always been a great help and I appreciate everything you have done for me. Without your help I could not get some of my problems resolved. Thanx."

"You helped us get our car out of impound, otherwise our limited welfare resources would have been eaten up instead of us being able to feed our kids. Thank you so much!"

"With the help of Friends Outside I was able to see that the only way to change my situation is to make the choices for myself that no one is going to be responsible for me. I have to make that choice for myself."

"Thank you sooo much for your assistance I was penniless and without shoes to get anywhere when I was released and Friends Outside helped me with homeless shelter information, transportation assistance and access to phone and clothing. Thank you, you are life-savers."

Read-Me-A-Story

"The girls loved hearing their father read them a story. It's something they will always remember"

"This was so important to the children. Their mother's voice made them feel secure and special."

"This is the closest I've felt to my children in a long time."

"I got great feedback from home. Can you sign me up again?"

"I think this is the best program in the whole jail."

Constructive Conflict Resolution

"I've learned that it's easier to let go and forgive instead of holding on to the negative. I think it's going to help me stay clean."

"I had lived with so much violence and conflict that I never believed or even thought there was a way out or a way to stop the violence. However, even after the first few minutes of this class I felt hope for the first time in my life and started to see that there truly could be life without violence."

"I'll walk away with peace inside knowing that I have power—to use in a positive or negative way. I can control my own self in conflict."

"I got insight and realize I need to try alternatives, not to always go with my learned behavior."

"Any preconceived notions of what this class was about or had to offer went out the door within the first couple of hours. We learned to realize that conflict is inevitable but always solvable without the use of violence."

Women's Circle

"It was a safe place for me to share and be heard as well as support others while incarcerated."

"Women's Circle has allowed me to open up and look at issues that I would have preferred not to. After having examined these issues I have felt at ease to work on them. I have also learned a new perspective for on-going issues—all positive."

"It is an empowering experience and you won’t want to miss a minute of it. The friendship is awesome."

"Women's Circle was a spiritual carnival of closeness, offering an environment free of criticism or anything negative; specifically, I felt freedom to grasp onto positive reinforcement of topics that I hold close in my heart. It reminded me of my womanhood, my spirituality, and showed me new ideas on ways for my growth to continue."

"I love this group. I would encourage all women to join!"