When Lori agreed to be Samantha’s mentor, she knew they had more in common than their shared experience of incarceration. For starters, both women are
In early June, about 100 guests gathered to witness the change that is possible when justice is reimagined for women. At the second annual Community
At its May meeting, the Truth Be Told Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve Sandy Wolff’s application for board service. Since moving to Austin in June 2017, Sandy has been a familiar and regular face — and voice — in Truth Be Told volunteer community.
We at Truth Be Told are thrilled to welcome Laurie Pherigo in her new role as administrative assistant, providing vital support to the organization’s programs, business operations and community relations.
Laurie’s career with Truth Be Told began in 2012, when she participated in and graduated from our Talk to Me program at TDCJ’s Hilltop Unit in Gatesville.
On the final night of the $10,000 — no, wait $20,000 — no, wait — $30,000 in 10 Days storytelling campaign with only 2 hours
Since my incarceration, I started a nonprofit organization called Passion for Prisoners because I wanted to go back into the prisons — and through the front gate this time. Running a prison ministry keeps me way busy and I’m sacrificing a lot, but I feel this is my calling.
Life is too short to not be doing what you were always meant to do. Recreate the life you want one step at a time. Nothing is certain, but the one thing I know: Until you do what you are meant to do, everything else will be hollow.
I took Talk to Me Speaking twice — once in the fall of 2012 and again in the spring of 2013. The experience changed my life in many ways. For one thing, Truth Be Told showed me how to live a life of authenticity. I was already struggling to understand who I was and how I wanted to change and become in my new life, and my Truth Be Told family has always worked hard to help me understand how to do that.
I learned that owning your truth is powerful, because no one can ever take it away from you. And if you accept all the facets of who you are, you will be able to shape them into the person you want to be. The only thing stopping me from doing that is me.
Whether I’m having a good day or a bad day, I am just grateful and happy. My grandchildren are my world! I work as an administrative assistant at Integral Care, which is the Local Mental Health Authority (LMHA). Each county in Texas has an LMHA, and we’re the one for Travis County! We provide psychiatric evaluations, 24-hour crisis interventions, medication treatment, employment and vocational services, family support and respite care, housing information, referrals and a lot more. I assist clients who have psychiatric and substance abuse needs. What I find most rewarding about my job is getting to work directly with our clients.
Truth Be Told is worth supporting because it empowers women when they are at their lowest, and it rebuilds them up and gives them something to strive for. Truth Be Told also offers such a great network (of other program graduates and volunteers) in the community to help keep you on the right track when you are released.
Life today is beautiful. When I was incarcerated, I began a transformation of my heart, mind and spirit. Thanks to Truth Be Told, that is still flowing since my release in November 2008.
Before September 1, I was a nurse at a drug rehabilitation center in Dallas, which was very rewarding because I was helping in an area that was my core problem — drug addiction. Drug addiction was the underlying reason for my incarceration.
However, on September 1, I transitioned into my new job as the executive director of Girls Embracing Mothers (GEM), a Dallas-based nonprofit organization founded by my daughter, Brittany K. Barnett, to empower girls with mothers in prison to break the cycle of incarceration and lead successful lives with vision and purpose. We partner with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for enhanced visits between our girls and their mothers to help break the cycle and build the bond.
Truth Be Told is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our tax ID number is 42-1558329. All donations made to Truth Be Told are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Website designed & developed by Jen Webb.
