Did you know our founder and executive director, Jane Collins, is also an Air Force veteran? She served from 1981 – 2009 as an active duty and reservist, and was also attached to an Air National Guard unit in Springfield, Ohio. Talk about total force! Jane retired at the rank of colonel and continued serving in her post-Air Force life. Listen as Gwen Tolbart of DC Fox 5 interviews her about the importance of sharing stories as part of the Library of Congress’ Veteran’s Stories: The Veterans History Project. This is the largest oral history project in U. S. History.
“We are extremely grateful for Heard’s continued outreach and engagement with those in our custody.”
— Sheriff Dana Lawhorne
And we are grateful to the Alexandria Gazette Packet for promoting the winners of our writing contest with the Alexandria Adult Detention Center. You are always so supportive of our work! Btw, did you know that you made Mr. Pixley and Mr. Talbert’s day? They were each given a copy of your article and were sooooo happy! Thank you for allowing them to be heard! Scroll down to page 7 to see our winners or read it here:
In his award-winning poem “I Cry”, Anthony Talbert laments over being incarcerated in the Alexandria Jail.
“Growing up I was told that the eyes are the windows to the soul,” reads Talbert’s poem. “So I cry to cleanse my soul of all the torment it holds.”
You can’t not be moved by Talbert’s first-place poem and the tears he sheds for everyone – you, me, Jesus, himself. You can read his entire work and more about our writing contest in Alxnow.com
“We are extremely grateful for Heard’s continued outreach and engagement with those in our custody,” Sheriff Lawhorne said.
And we are grateful to you, Sheriff Lawhorne, for inviting us back to hold our annual writing contest with the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center again. Once again we laughed, cried, and were generally blown away by the honesty and courage of our authors. Congratulations to your winners, and a special shoutout to Caudron Megary, Blackburn Wealth Management Group for sponsoring this event.
The list of winners and a link to the first-place winning poem (and it’s amazing!) is here.
We always love our time with Catherine Read, the genius behind ReadThinkAct.com and a true walk-the-walk social activist. Catherine is also a strategist, activist, advocate, speaker, trainer and a host of two weekly television shows and a live radio show on the Fairfax Public Access Channel. I was privileged to be her guest on one of those radio shows, Making Change, on March 18, where I spoke about Heard’s exciting plans for world domination, or at least for sharing how we are ready to help those in need in all communities through art.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and it was our honor to interview Barbara Sweeney, the City of Alexandria Residential Coordinator of the Domestic Violence Program. Barbie, as we call her, runs the city’s domestic violence shelter and does so much more. Did you happen to walk through Market Square any evening this month? It’s awash in purple to bring attention to this most important cause.
Barbie talks about how COVID-19 has impacted domestic abuse, what signs to watch for, how to help, and so much more in our video and our “5 More Questions” follow-on story.
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