Sunday, Sept. 10, is Grandparents Day, a holiday honoring grandmothers and grandfathers everywhere. So we’re sharing the inspiring story of Helen, who after 40 years behind bars has become a “grandmother” to those around her.
Helen was born during the “beginning of the end” of World War II, in the winter of 1944. The doctor attending her birth was drunk on moonshine, the gallon jug still sitting on the dining room table as her mother labored. She often asks herself if it was any wonder her life wasn’t a straight path.
In 1982, two things occurred that would change Helen’s life forever: Her marriage ended, and she committed a crime that resulted in a life sentence. Her faith would become the rock throughout her years in prison, propelling her forward.
Today, Helen has a loving and caring relationship with all five of her children. Because they all live far away, visitations are not always an option. But they are always eager to hear updates from her on phone calls and in letters.
Helen now has six grandchildren, and she hasn’t been able to meet most of them. But that hasn’t stopped Helen from being a “grandmother” to those around her.
For the past four years, Create: New Beginnings®—created by women for women—has been turning dull prison rooms into places of beauty and life transformation. This program has the potential to impact women outside of prison as well, which is why Prison Fellowship partnered with Tyndale House Publishers to make Create: New Beginnings available to women across the country as a book. Preorder the book today for yourself or someone you love!
