Dear Friends,
After incarceration, people face incredible obstacles—poverty, addiction, judgement, isolation. Too often, these barriers loom large and cast shadows over efforts to rebuild. At M2/W2, we bring people together and build programs designed to help participants navigate obstacles and find their path to restoration.
This Christmas, I invite you to give to M2/W2, and partner with us to help folks access vital resources and relationships that can help them find a way. It starts with a desire to change; your gift can help turn that desire into meaningful action.
Cindy knew it couldn’t continue. She had been in and out of jail for a decade, living a cycle of crime and addiction. She decided she’d had enough.
“When I got caught, it was a relief,” she said. “I knew I couldn’t stop what I was doing.”
After starting her three-year sentence in Ontario, Cindy requested a transfer to BC, to Fraser Valley Institution for Women (FVI).
Eager for a Fresh Start
Cindy was prepared to make big changes. She served her sentence at FVI and was granted day parole. But instead of going to a transition house, she asked to go to rehab for three months. During this time, her parole officer suggested she contact M2/W2 about the No One Leaves Alone (NOLA) program. The parole officer recognized that Cindy would be entering a new community where she had few contacts. Cindy knew it too. “I didn’t know anybody. I had no resources. I had nowhere to go.”
Cindy joined NOLA while she was still in rehab, and her Case Manager, Allyson Johnson, began meeting with her. Together they started planning for Cindy’s release.
“Allyson’s an amazing person,” Cindy said. ”She’s so spunky and she gets things done.”
Allyson helped Cindy make and attend appointments. She also organized a circle of volunteers in the community to provide support and encouragement for Cindy as she continued her transition. When she finished rehab, a volunteer was there to meet her. The circle met as a group for the first time the following week.
“They’re amazing,” Cindy said of her circle. “I can call them and if I need help they will help me find it. They actually care.”
Settling in, Step by Step
NOLA provides support in five areas: housing, health, employment, education, and relationships. Each participant identifies the specific areas they want to focus on.
“From the first day, Cindy was so open and ready to change,” said Tess, a NOLA volunteer and the leader of Cindy’s circle. “The big thing she was working on was finding a job. She was so determined to find work.”
Cindy’s determination was rewarded. She found a steady job in construction. It paid well and she enjoyed the work.
“From the first day, Cindy was so open and ready to change”
“The next thing was the house,” Tess said. “We worked with her to figure out what she wanted and what she could afford. We worked together to send her postings and help her organize her thoughts and budget. She viewed places and we were there to give her feedback and support.”
With the encouragement of her circle, Cindy found a home. Allyson helped her access a rent subsidy through a partner organization.
Support Beyond the System
As part of her corrections plan, Cindy needed to attend counselling. Yet she struggled to find a counsellor who was available outside her work schedule. She felt frustrated. She had worked so hard to find this job, and she didn’t want to jeopardize it by taking time off to attend counselling.
“As a group we talked about the value of counselling,” Tess said. “How it could help her process the past and be healthy in the present. We talked to Allyson as a group and she recommended an after-hours counsellor [she knew in the area].”
“I felt like I didn’t deserve kindness, but I needed it. It makes you want to be good, to stay normal… It feels good that somebody cares.”
The counsellor Allyson suggested was a good fit, and Cindy began her sessions. “It’s in the evening after I get off work,” Cindy said. “My NOLA team helped me do the leg work.”
One of NOLA’s areas of support is health, and that includes mental health. In this, NOLA connects participants like Cindy with resources and even pays for up to 10 sessions with a counsellor. These sessions can help someone gain new understanding about themselves and their circumstances and deal with challenges in a healthy, productive way.
A Focus on Individual Needs
Every program participant has a unique story. For Cindy, her determination to find stability through work made it difficult to accommodate part of her corrections plan. Yet NOLA connected her with people she trusted—people who encouraged her, showed her the importance of counselling, and even worked with her parole officer to arrange an alternative solution.
“I couldn’t have done it without them,” Cindy said. “That’s for sure.”
The Power of Kindness
Cindy has been sober for two years. She graduated NOLA at the end of October. For her the benefits are so clear: It’s the relationships she’s built with the volunteers. “They went beyond what they needed to do to make sure I was okay,” Cindy said.
Tess, Allyson, and the other members of Cindy’s circle joined her on a journey, and had the privilege to see Cindy for who she truly is.
“Cindy is someone who cares so deeply for others,” said Tess. “Now that’s she’s restarted her life, the impact she’s going to have on others is going to be amazing.”
The benefits of time spent together, of connections made, aren’t always easy to measure. Yet when we see someone walking through a difficult time, it’s an opportunity to show them kindness, listen to their story, and appreciate that person for who they are. And that can create a genuine bond that’s powerful enough to change lives.
“I haven’t been shown kindness for a long time,” Cindy said. “I felt like I didn’t deserve it, but I needed it. It makes you want to be good, to stay normal and straight. It feels good that somebody cares.”
Let’s Help Others Find a Way
We’ve had another eventful year, filled with change and challenges, so much of it outside our hands. Let’s keep hope near and not lose sight of our purpose. I am thankful we can turn to each other when times are difficult, and it is a blessing to share this sense of belonging with others through our organization. Thank you for your generosity.
Merry Christmas,
Raymond Robyn,
Executive Director,
M2/W2 Association