I want to tell you about my husband Dan.
Since 2009, Dan has been making his way to prison yards in San Diego County to visit people who are serving long sentences. Most of them are lifers. They have been inside for decades. Some have never had anyone show up for them at all.
Dan shows up.
He brings support letters for parole board hearings. He connects people to transitional housing. He writes letters on their behalf and advocates for them when they have no one else in their corner. And when someone is within 60 days of release, Dan collects their sizes and makes sure they have a full set of clothes waiting before they walk out the gate.
Because most of these people leave with nothing. Literally nothing. After 20 or 30 years inside, they walk out the door in whatever the state provides. Dan believes that is not good enough. A person should be able to leave with their head up.
For years, this work has been carried by Dan's personal finances, his home church, and the generosity of people who heard what he was doing and wanted to be part of it. People have always shown up for this work the way Dan shows up for these individuals. What has been missing is not heart or support — it is the formal structure to receive that support properly, make it sustainable, and give donors a real, accountable place to give.
Our family watched him do this for a long time, and this year we decided it was time to build something around him. Something that could support the work properly, keep it going, and make sure it does not depend entirely on one man's determination and the goodwill of people with no formal way to give.
In March 2026, we incorporated Welcome Home Outreach Foundation Inc. as a California nonprofit. Our daughter AJ serves as our Executive Director. Our son DJ serves as Chief Financial Officer. I handle operations. Dan does what he has always done. We are a family foundation right now, and we hope that someday soon others will join our board and bring their own gifts to this work of restoring dignity to individuals coming home.
We are on our way to full 501(c)(3) status. This GoFundMe is our first step in getting there.
Here is what we are raising for:
We need seed money to cover two things at once.
The foundation side: 501(c)(3) application fees, organizational and administrative costs, and the infrastructure to operate with accountability and transparency as a legitimate nonprofit.
The ministry side: the immediate, ongoing costs of Dan's outreach. Dress-out clothing and shoes for people releasing from custody. Hygiene kits. Bus passes. Shipping costs to get supplies to individuals at their facility before they leave. Basic transitional support during the first critical days home.
Our goal is $5,000. That covers roughly six months of direct ministry costs that Dan and his supporters have been covering informally, plus the organizational expenses of getting WHOF properly established. It is the seed that lets us keep going and build something that will outlast all of us.
If you believe every person deserves a real second chance, with someone genuinely in their corner, this is that work. We are just finally making it official.
Thank you for being part of this with us.
With love and gratitude,
Shellee Maloney
on behalf of Dan, AJ, DJ, and the whole Maloney family
Our application for 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status has not yet been filed. Donations made through this campaign are NOT tax-deductible at this time. Funds will be deposited directly into the WHOF organizational bank account and used exclusively for ministry outreach and organizational development expenses.