We recently held a new volunteer meet and greet in Dallas, in anticipation of our upcoming visits to the Collin County Jail in McKinney. The event was a wonderful opportunity to connect with prospective volunteers and spread the word about our mission. A big thank you to Mary Anne and Larry Harmon for graciously hosting this special event. Their hospitality created...
Friendships at WSP: Lyrica Johnson and Sun Connor
It all began with volunteering. Lyrica was the Newsletter Chair, and we bonded over Adobe Creative Suite – creating quarterly newsletters and annual reports. Our work meetings soon became casual hangouts, and eventually, family gatherings with our kids. At WSP, we connect incarcerated mothers with their children and unite volunteers. Volunteering with us isn’t just about visiting prisons and recording...
Volunteer Spotlight: Emily Hobbie
I first heard about Storybook Project and its mission in 2019 from a public service announcement on KUT. This was a spark moment. The lyric of one of my favorite hymns states, It only takes a spark, to get a fire going.” Strongly embracing that concept, I learned more about WSP, made a small donation, and began telling others about...
Volunteer Spotlight: Robyn Cooper
In the spring of 2020, I saw an interview on TV that involved our executive director, Jill Gonzalez, regarding the Women’s Storybook Project. I was inspired by their mission to connect incarcerated moms with their children through the joy of literature. I knew right away that I wanted to be a part of this group. Having been a reading specialist,...
Volunteer Spotlight: Kelly Treybig
Kelly Jacobson Treybig How you first got involved with WSP(and when) I discovered WSP through the Austin Junior Forum, an organization that collaborates with nonprofits supporting a wide range of individuals, including women, children, and the elderly, in the Austin area. What is your position or connection with WSP? Since becoming a WSP volunteer, I have had the opportunity to...
BAMBI Update
BAMBI UPDATE By: Tiel Rainelli, WSP Programs Coordinator BAMBI (Babies and Mothers Bonding Initiative), a Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) program housed at the Santa Maria Hostel in Houston, offers women who are pregnant in prison the rare experience to be with their child for 12 to 24 months (during their incarceration), fostering a strong, early bond during a...
Barnes and Noble Book Drive 2024 By: Desirae Landrum
My Experience Volunteering at this Year’s Barnes and Noble Holiday Book Drive By: Desirae Landrum Mission Women’s Storybook Project prison program helps incarcerated mothers maintain contact with and bring comfort to their children. We help these mothers record stories and messages of love for their children and then mail the recordings along with the books so the children can hear...
Board Member Spotlight: Matt Walker
Social Media: X/Twitter and LinkedIn How you first got involved with WSP(and when) I learned about WSP several years ago, as my church (Westlake United Methodist) has been a consistent supporter of the organization and its mission. A former Board member talked to me about her experience with WSP and prompted me to investigate my own participation when she learned...
Volunteer Spotlight: Ana Benhalim
“I had heard about Women’s Storybook Project while still living in Virginia and when we knew we were moving to Austin two years ago I added volunteering with the organization to my list of plans for getting involved in my new community. Luckily I got the opportunity quickly as a member of the Junior League of Austin. I am so...
WSP Spotlight: Meet Kerry from Minuteman Press!
Meet Kerry! For over a decade, Kerry Muniz at Minuteman Press has been our trusted printing partner at Women’s Storybook Project (WSP). Today, we’re honored to spotlight her in our series. Kerry first encountered WSP in May of 2013 when Judith Dulling went to Minuteman Press to order WSP newsletters. The two clicked remarkably and Judith, described by Kerry as...