2019: A year of growth
Wow, 2019 has been a learning year! We have had a lot of sticks in our spokes over the past year and we’ve been dynamic and agile to overcome them. One prison administrator said “When the TEDx event was canceled, I thought you were going to leave Donovan. The fact that you’re still here says a lot.” We’re still there because we’re committed to this journey of healing for the long haul!
Through the challenges and even thanks to them, we have beautiful successes to share. This year, we put into practice what I preach to the residents all the time: There’s a gift in every challenge...if we’re willing to unwrap it. In addition to the countless human transformations, a few of the programming successes are
Last April’s TEDx event - While the event was put on hiatus for reasons beyond our control, the Core Team did every bit of work required to ideate, organize and plan the event; this deserves to be celebrated!
Storytelling Intensive - While on event hiatus, we crafted a powerful Storytelling Intensive with guest volunteer experts in expressive arts, creative writing and improv. Stories here and here
Nonviolent Communication - Newly launched this past February, NVC is currently in its 3rd 12-week offering. We hear the prison residents use the NVC tools of “needs” and “strategies” on the yard!
Conflict Resolution - The residents received three 17-week iterations of Conflict Resolution this year with the same success as the first
Groups of community members experiencing prison - Multiple groups of 20 people experienced a very unique, personalized conversation between disconnected worlds while coming into prison for an afternoon
Thanks to you, so much has been accomplished!
In 2020, we’ll move forward together to create a broader vision of empowering more than 500 prison residents at Donovan who need:
A safe space in which they uncover and ignite their unique brilliance
To ripple out this brilliance as they become unstoppable agents of positive change to their kids, families, officers, at-risk youth and the greater community
To create events that engage across disconnected worlds so everyone can shift their relationships at home, at work and in society
Plus, what if 2020 was the year we expand our wildly successful model to the homeless population? We’re having these conversations. The intent: empower this community, creating a platform to co-create viable solutions to San Diego’s homeless challenges.
As you reflect on the impact you want to make with your year-end giving, please remember that the Donovan prison residents and our community need you!