The following was written by Lori Moseley, Roots of Success instructor and advisory board member. Lori was incarcerated for two and a half years, and was released from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Oregon in January. She loves cats and dad jokes. Keep visiting the blog for our Outside the Wall series, which will follow the experiences of Lori and others over the coming year.

Hi everyone, it’s Lori from Oregon. Lovely day to be free in the beautiful Northwest.

I’d like to share an update on starting a new “Roots of Success” program. My target is “Sponsors” the employment re-entry and transitional housing service located in Lane county. I put together an informative packet detailing the wonderful advantage of the “Roots of Success” certification and got it in the mail last week. My plan for Monday is to make a follow up phone call to the Sponsors education supervisor and set up an in person meeting.

I’ve already had a nice conversation with a representative from the county parole and probation department. This was an encouraging discussion. I’m presently putting together information to submit to them. My hope is they will make it a requirement for a select number of parolees. Possibly people who have the initiative to move forward and out of the prison cycle.

I had an interesting encounter yesterday. I was at a package mailing/faxing outlet and I met a kind woman named Susan. Wow!! She’s a Sponsors volunteer. While I was waiting to fax 20 pages (which can take a bit) we talked about opportunities, or lack there of, for this marginalized population. I enjoyed a nice exchange and shared the dynamics of the “Roots of Success” program. I know that Susan and I will meet again. The universe always provides. Wishing you all a great and unexpected encounter. Bye for now. Lori