$100K in 10 Days – Featuring Truth Be Told graduate, Sara

Thank you for continuing to join us as we share our graduates’ amazing transformations. Today we are highlighting Sara. Please honor Sara and the rest of our graduates by making a donation today. Also, if you donate right now, all donations are still being doubled. This is a great time to double the impact of your donation and help us reach $100K. 

Sara is celebrating nearly 7 years of being released. When she was released she promised herself she would never return to prison. Truth Be Told gave Sara the tools to transform her relationship with herself and her family. Sara’s will to build a different life for herself was ultimately what contributed to her success. 

TBT: What do you want people to know about incarceration and the criminal justice system? Sara: I want people to know that incarceration is not a place anyone wants to go. We did not dream of this, as kids, saying “Oh, one day I want to go to prison.” As far as the justice system goes, for the most part, they can be truly harsh, uncompassionate, judgmental, and absolutely terrifying. 

TBT: What is your favorite motto, phrase, or affirmation? 

Sara: If you aren’t learning you aren’t growing!

TBT: Out of all the work that you did with Truth Be Told, what is the most memorable lesson or tool that you still use to this day. 

Sara: My most memorable lesson is that TBT taught me to believe in myself and speak my truth without fear. Also, there are so many others, like me, who didn’t have the guidance we needed to be successful prior to taking these classes.  

TBT: We are all one choice away from incarceration. Describe one choice from your past that put you on the path to incarceration. 

Sara: I was someone who was extremely impulsive, never thinking about the consequences of my actions. I was selfish and had a victim mentality, which led me to always put my needs above others, even at the cost of their pain. 

TBT: What are you excited about in your life now or looking forward to in the future? 

Sara: I am mostly excited about the healing journey I have been on from my past, it has not been easy but it has been worth it. If I can use my trials to help just one person, then I am fulfilling my purpose in this thing called life!

TBT: Tell us about your best day in prison and your worst day in prison. 

Sara: I honestly can’t put a date on it. I do remember, perhaps during my 3rd year in prison, I finally let go and started my healing journey. That was the most liberating time during my incarceration. I began to heal from all my past choices, take accountability for my actions, and let go of the things that I had no control over. 

My worst day had to have been day one of being in prison. I never felt so much shame and loneliness like I did that day. 

As you can see from our graduates’ experiences, it’s hard coming to grips with where they are at and being honest about what got them there. However, it seems that when our graduates accept what has happened is when the real magic starts. They are able to move forward and make real changes in their lives. 

Despite their tenacity, the obstacles of being formerly incarcerated are not easy to overcome. Transforming their lives takes commitment, vulnerability, and making hard decisions. 

Join us for a special, real-time Story Gathering on December 8th at 7:45 pm. You will have the opportunity to hear from two different graduates about their experiences behind and beyond bars. There will also be a graduate movement performance and live music. Come and experience what it’s like to be in community with Truth Be Told. Secure your tickets by making a tax-deductible donation.