Women’s Storybook Project was my placement for 2 years and I have since continued to volunteer in prisons and in the office on my own. I now also sit on the Board of Directors! After reading the WSP placement description in 2019, I immediately ranked WSP #1 on my preferences. I’d never heard of anything sweeter or more touching! And I wanted to meet other JLA members who wanted to visit prisons haha! Carpooling to the prisons offers nice fellowship with the team leaders, many of whom have been volunteering with WSP consistently for over 15 years, and other volunteers.

When I’m able, I try to visit the same prison unit for the 4 month duration of the class (same group of moms) because I like to get to know the moms a little better each time. Not only do they tell us how deeply appreciative they are for our program, but we can feel their emotional need for and benefit from this program when we sit in the circle at the beginning and end of each visit.  It’s not hard to imagine being on the other end of the recording, as a child, and hearing your mom’s voice read this book to you and tell you she loves you as often as you’d like to play the recording. When recording a mom reading, that’s what brings tears to my eyes. In my second placement year, I was offered the opportunity to sit in on WSP Board meetings as a non-voting member, a perk of the JLA Project Chair role. Because of this exposure and other JLA training, I was recently invited to join the WSP Board where I serve on the finance and strategic planning committees. I am committed to helping WSP in any way I can from now until forever! I thank JLA for bringing WSP into my life!