( a journal entry from 2017 )
Today was amazing! WE held the first part of the DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CLOTHESLINE PROJECT. Success could not have come without the co-ordination between staff and the VOICES UNITED THINK TANK. I am compelled to explain in detail as the daily operations of a prison are foreign to most people.
Imagine for just a moment you are planning and executing a project involving a dozen people; a project so important that is could potentially impact as many as 300 lives in a life changing way. Now imagine doing it without a cell phone, landline, fax, email. You don’t even have two cans to string together. Now remember, your team is spread out all over a compound locked away in different dorms and it’s literally illegal to go to any dorm you don’t live in.
Seems a bit tricky, right?
For me it’s passion that fuels my craftiness, that and I like to challenge myself.
The success of any project, program or workshop, here fully depend on our relationships with staff.
Voices United currently has six inside members. Two or three weeks ago we were able to meet with Administrator Pullen
in her office to give her a breakdown of our vision for the events to come. Her backing is crucial.
One of the things that makes our think tank so impactful is that we all do our own big things, bring different skills and connections to the table. Peer led programming is easy for me to navigate, as I have hosted many network marketing groups and fully understand the power they bring.
So here we are in, sitting in the Administrator’s office pitching our plans to her- fully prepared with the curriculum, the purpose, the logistics, all worked out but lacking the most important component- keys and access to space. She takes the time to hear our plans and as we get into the fine details, she immediately picks up the phone to do what we cannot do; solidify the plans. Now remember, before we sat down with her, we had all done our networking. It helps tremendously that one of us works in the chapel ( our favorite place to host workshops ) another member works recreation, therefore bringing that connection. I work for the Administrator directly- so this is golden. I work closely with Counselor Slinka and it doesn’t go unnoticed that she is nothing short of amazing. She goes above and beyond to help our visions and plans to come to fruition. I am not sure how she manages to do her job and all the extra things that make it all possible. Without her, none of it would be possible.
Now we come to the obvious point, the importance of the CHARACTER of the think tank members. The fact that we are all positive, self motivated and courteous IS KEY. It’s a real life thing that “negative nelly ” will never be able to persuade anyone to do anything, especially in regards to getting a staff member to go the extra mile to help her.
Our think tank members have strong common denominators; unshakable integrity, passion and determination.
For me personally, pushing 50 with an outdate of 2041, the think tank is my way of PAYING IT FORWARD. My hope is that our plans will continue to help many women to find strength in themselves, create healthy goals and ultimately to be better prepared for RE-ENTRY.
