This is Reentry Work…

This year, our team had a plan to kick off our holiday giving requests. We planned to share stories, photos of our programs, and invite our community to give in support of second chances. But this month took a far different turn.

A participant in our reentry program was suddenly life-flighted to a hospital an hour away. In that moment, every post, every plan, every email took a backseat. The hashtags, the graphics, the strategy could wait. What mattered was showing up.

STAR staff reacted immediately, giving up days off, rearranging schedules to ensure coverage for programs, and prioritizing participant needs over time at our desks, so that our housing manager could drop everything to drive to the hospital. He was there around the clock for days, talking with doctors, comforting him when he was awake, and making sure he knew he was not alone. Because for many individuals reentering the community, we aren’t just another program. We are stepping in when bridges with family and friends have previously been burnt. STAR staff are often the people who show up when no one else does.

 This is reentry work. It’s messy and unpredictable, sacred and human. It means choosing presence over publicity, care over convenience.

If you’ve ever wondered what your donation makes possible, it’s this moment. It’s the kind of love that doesn’t clock out or calculate costs. Your generosity keeps the lights on for our participants, covers the gas for that unexpected trip, and allows our staff to show up fully for the people who need it most. 

Today, when you give, you help us keep showing up with compassion and consistency. Your donation ensures that no one walks through reentry alone, no matter what life brings.

  Give today, so we can keep showing up.