Dear John,

Our incarcerated community members are top of mind for me during the holiday season and we enter a new year. I vividly remember how it felt to be inside during this time – the holidays are arguably the most challenging time to be separated from friends and family. So this year, our staff and an amazing team of volunteers recently sent out 7,500 holiday postcards to folks in CA state prisons who are far from home.

I would like to share a story from my colleague J’Mel Carter, Life Coach at Ironwood State Prison, that exemplifies why we do the work we do:
 

“For the past two nights during group meeting check-ins, many of the men expressed how thankful and grateful they are of ARC spreading holiday cheer. Some men were moved to tears of joy as they expressed their appreciation for the postcards they recently received. Holidays create a yearning to be with family and loved ones. Many of our men and women inside only have us at ARC to claim... I was asked by the men to share with you all at ARC their sincere thanks and appreciation for your dedication, hard work, and love.”

John, I hope you’ll join me in making a gift to ARC this year-end so we can continue the important work of uplifting our incarcerated brothers and sisters.

Your support allows us to not only drive systemic change, but provide a human connection to everyone we work with. Our Members experience everything life has to offer: bi-yearly retreats, tickets to sporting and cultural events, and other group activities to build healthy relationships that keep people out of the carceral system. We are committed to providing memorable and fun experiences as part of the re-entry services we offer—a unique, but critical, component of our approach.
 

 
We could not do this work without you and all our allies, and I hope you will consider making a gift to support ARC before 2021 comes to a close.