take your dog to prison day

Hello Everyone,

I just had a birthday yesterday.  I am now officially old enough for senior discounts. Ugh. I don’t know how that happened because it feels like I had my 30th birthday just a few years ago. Lol.

Thank you for being here in this space, for loving your community and for the wonderful magical way you have enhanced your life with art. I know you wouldn’t be here if those things weren’t true.

I have found that art in all its beautiful forms has soothed my soul for many years. Playing, coloring, storytelling and music are some of my favorite artistic loves. I have been working with OHOM for the last year and finally obtained a volunteer badge for Columbia River and for Coffee Creek. I picked my badge up on November 13th and on that night I went in with Carla for my first visit into Coffee Creek as a theater volunteer instead of a theater inmate. 

The drive over I was fine. Checking in with the guards, I was fine. Walking across the courtyard, through the programs building… I was fine. When we got to the room where class was going to happen there was no one there and Carla had to have the CO’s call out and announce the class.

As I sat in the room alone, looking around at the same dirty walls, the same gross dirty carpeting, the same broken room divider, the old posters, chairs, windows and wall clock… I became flooded with what could only be described as overwhelming gratitude. 

When the girls finally began to file in for class I had to wipe away my tears. I tried to stay quiet until Carla introduced me to them. I was so excited to tell them that I too used to sit in these very chairs, in this very room, doing these very theater things they were about to do and that when they left prison…. They never ever had to come back to this place.  I told them my story. We laughed, we cried, we talked, we did theater stuff, and in that moment I was reminded of the importance of hope. 

The arts have a magical way of reaching deep into one’s soul and drawing out their better self. Through art, reflection can happen, empathy can flourish, and accountability can be nurtured. By bringing the arts into prisons, we create opportunities for success and confidence, which in turn grow hope. And with hope, anything is possible.

OPEN HEARTS OPEN MINDS relies on the generosity of individual donations and foundation grants. Your contribution to OPEN HEARTS OPEN MINDS can make a world of difference. Your support enables us to provide supplies and opportunities to incarcerated men and women, giving them hope and a positive outlook towards their future. Let’s make this change happen together. Donate today!

Love is All.    

Denise Bare