Volunteer Spotlight: Meet, Laura Edge!
How and when did you first get involved with WSP?
I was at a writer’s conference in Houston doing publicity for my young adult book, Locked Up: A History of the U.S. Prison System, and JoAn Martin, a long-time Storybook volunteer, asked me if I would like to get involved with WPS. It must have been around 2009, the year the book was released. I had never heard of WSP, but it sounded like a wonderful organization, so I took my training, did my background check, and joined the volunteers in Dayton. There were no volunteers at that time from Kingwood, where I live, so I met up with the Dayton group and started volunteering at the Plane/Henley units.
What do you wish other people knew about WSP?
The program is safe, easy, and important. Some women I speak to about the program shutter at the thought of going into a prison. I let them know the program is safe, the work is important, and they can make a real difference in the lives of hurting women and innocent children.
What might someone be surprised to know about you?
I’m a heart transplant survivor, a book lover, and a football fan.
Our dedicated volunteers enhance Women’s Storybook Project’s ability to serve incarcerated mothers in a myriad of ways. If you’re interested in serving in-prison, remote, in the office or with special events, please click here. Our mission is to help strengthen relationships and build hope for the future. Mothers in the program show their children that they are loved and missed.