Welcome Home Bags

To be welcomed home is probably the best feeling in the world. Just imagine what it would feel like if you were removed from society because of horrible decisions you made so many years ago, then released after 24 years. Imagine how you would need to put the pieces of your life together with nothing but $40 in your pocket and a stigma that makes life that much more difficult. The truth is, being welcomed home could be the difference between success in society and going back to prison.

To increase the possibility of success and supporting a safe return back into society, Freedom Project is providing Welcome Home bags. Included in these bags are all the necessities a person will need on their first day back into society, complete with a personalized letter:
- hygiene items
- basic toiletries
-bus passes (if needed)
- gift cards for clothing and other necessities

Additionally, as the magic isn’t just in providing the things people really need on the day of release, Freedom Project is there for them, walking with them shoulder to shoulder through this most difficult transition. There is only one way to welcome someone home… with empathy, compassion and, at the very least, helping them get their most basic needs met.

Freedom Project supports healing connection and restorative communities both inside and outside prison through the strategies of Nonviolent Communication, mindfulness, racial equity and anti-oppression. A SAGE Antioch study has shown that 30 hours of our trainings and workshops reduces recidivism of those who participate by 42% and saves the State of Washington 5 million a year. In an effort to do more, we have made a commitment to walk with people as they transition out and offer much-needed community support every step of the way.