The Freedom To Choose Project

This past weekend I was privileged to participate in yet another Freedom to Choose workshop. Words cannot express how much love, appreciation, hope, humor, personal growth I have experienced since going to that very first workshop in 2004. I have lost count of the number of workshops I have done, but I can honestly say I never get enough. I will continue go to the prisons every chance I can. I am transformed to a higher vibration each time I go. The love and consciousness that happen inside the walls of that gymnasium are indescribable! It is truly a blessed spiritual experience for me. I have so much gratitude for being able to participate in Freedom to Choose!
Blessings!
Jo Ann Mermis

Last weekend was my 34th Freedom to Choose workshop. I've been volunteering since 2010 and am always so glad to have these experiences! These are my people and this is a significant part of my spiritual practice. Each time I go it is transformational - not only for the incarcerated participants but also for me. One of the best things about it is the immense gratitude the participants always share. My heart just fills with love and compassion for everyone present. I have moved out of California and so now must fly to get there. But it's totally worth it! I really look forward to my next workshop!

I have just returned from my latest Freedom to Choose workshop. We are celebrating our 21st year of service, and I started at the 15-year anniversary workshop. I don't live in California. I fly in on my own dime - this time from Atlanta, Georgia. It is always SO WORTH IT. My employers and co-workers can't understand my joy when I say I'm going to prison this weekend. They have never experienced the uplifting atmosphere of pure love that permeates that prison gym. The participants at the workshop keep thanking us for coming. They think that somehow we are sacrificing our time to go there. Oh no! It is I who is so grateful to be there. As one of the volunteers shared, "I would PAY to come here!" Our work at these workshops is real. It is authentic. It changes every person in that room for the better, including the volunteers. Check out one of the free introductory Zoom events. It will give you a taste of what we do in the prisons. Do that a few times, and then try a workshop. You will literally never feel as safe in your whole life as in that gymnasium. If it is too far to travel, volunteer to read the correspondence course homework. You will witness the wonderful transformations of the participants as they do the same work remotely. This organization is unique, and there is SO much more work to do. Every prison needs this program. Every prison who currently has this program has witnessed a change in its culture toward the better. I'll say it again. Every prison needs this program, and there is so much more work to be done.

I have just completed my first weekend workshop with FTC in a prison setting and my heart is still beaming with profound joy and bewilderment. Their opportunities for service provide so much healing, so much opportunity for REAL connection, that serves all who participate. It will change your soul FOREVER. It has changed mine. This organization is the leading example of what happens when heart centered people on a mission set out to create change in the world and do so with exemplary coordination, exceptional communication, and masterful leadership. Other non-profits could benefit greatly from their example. It is not hard to see why so many volunteers stay involved for decades. I plan to continue to be a part of this FTC family for a very long time.

The Freedom To Choose Project has been a truly magical experience for me. As a volunteer, I've witnessed many of the participants (i.e., incarcerated people) have transformative experiences through the process we provide to them called "trios". We give the participants a safe space to express their traumas and pain that have led them to be where they are now and, from this expression of grief and anger and shame, they are enabled to choose into becoming a better person. As one participant said, ""Thank you from the bottom of my heart for changing my life. You [have] helped me let go of hate the has lived inside of me all my life. I can take what I have learned today to help my loved ones. Thank you!"

For me, volunteering with FTC has been an incredibly uplifting, expansive and nurturing experience. The preconceived, general stereotype beliefs I had held about prison inmates have been turned upside down. We all makes mistakes; some obviously far more serious than others. And, I believe, almost everyone; especially people who have undertaken and committed to person growth and learning from our mistakes, should at least be considered for a second chance.
Thank you to each of the FTC staff and volunteers who have invested twenty years offering assistance, hope and different choices to incarcerated individuals.

I have over the years volunteered in projects that reach out to incarcerated people. I am very concerned that in the United States we take generally troubled people and lock them up in awful environments where they have to become worse people in order to survive. We offer mostly punishment and little rehabilitation.
We spend a fortune in tax dollars keeping people incarcerated, sometimes for life.
Freedom to Choose was started at the request of an inmate, a lifer, whose own life was so healed by the program that she has been released. It has been helping inmates find healing within the prison which helps them survive better there, contribute positively inside the prison and to continue to do so once they are released.
I have been volunteering with the Freedom to Choose Project for a few months and am amazed by the quality of the results this program can claim.
There are many ways to participate, from going into prisons to participate in workshops, to reviewing workshop papers on your computer in your own home. The time requirement can be minimal and is never hard to handle.
Most amazing of all is as you do the work along with the prisoners, you too grow. Who knew?

I have been serving on the Freedom to Choose team since 2013, which has positively changed my life. Everything from working with the curriculum to working with our participants to serving on a team with amazingly open-hearted folks, and being a part of something greater than myself, truly brings out the best in me...every time. We all (volunteers and participants) come together with a common goal, to heal and grow, and we ALL do just that. This is a unique program with so much to offer anyone and everyone who takes part in the program, both folks on the "inside" and those of us who come in from the "free world." It's an opportunity for us all to discover our Divine nature through healing our human wounds...together. With every workshop, or reading Saturday, or any Freedom to Choose event I participate in, I feel I'm doing my little part in making the world a better place. Thank you, Bonnie and David for providing us all an opportunity to do our part!

I feel so blessed to be a part of such a heart centered nonprofit. The fact I get to volunteer for this organization feeds my soul. I encourage everyone who wants to connect more fully with their service consciousness to join Freedom to Choose. I can assure you, your life will change for the better!!

Freedom To Choose is a unique program that helps the incarcerated find their true potential and prepares them to be good citizens when they are released. Furthermore, the program helps the inmate participants alter the energy among the inmates by being a good example and by using the skills they learn to diffuse some of the situations they face in prison.
I worked as a Correctional Counselor II at Vally State Prison for Women, and witnessed over several years the change in so many participants first hand.

The Freedom to Choose Project is deeply meaningful and profoundly impactful, reaching into the hearts of both participants inside prison walls, and all who are touched by this healing heart work. I have been volunteering since 2016 and each time I am filled to overflowing with love and light. Thank you FTC for changing so many lives, including my own.

I’ve been lucky to be a volunteer with this great organization for at least 10 years. It’s one of the great joys of my life.

I have done volunteer work for Freedom to Choose and it is truly a remarkable organization doing such important and transformational work.

I could never have imagined the incredible gift volunteering with The Freedom to Choose Project was going to be in my life. It doesn't matter if I'm participating in a live workshop, participating in the reading events or enjoying their monthly trio events online, I always feel like I have received so many more blessings from the work and the community than I have ever given. My cup is always running over when I'm present to TFTCP and I can't thank Bonnie, David and the entire community enough - the ripple effect of the work they do is so far reaching and I feel privileged to be a part of it even when I'm in Australia!

I have volunteered with Freedom to Choose for almost a year, and I can't say enough great things about this organization. As a volunteer, whether I am reading participants' growthwork online or participating in their in-person weekends, I am filled with awe and wonder at the impact each of us can make on each other. I will continue to support this organization in the future as I see the magical transformation it offers, not just for the participants but for all involved.

I became an online reader for the FTC Project over two years ago when I was looking for a new volunteer project during covid because I was so impressed by the idea that an organization is trying to help incarcerated women and men in such a loving and compassionate way to become more self-aware and to understand that they, like everyone, have the tools inside to self-heal and to respond positively in all life situations. I encourage anyone who wishes to help others toward a positive life change to become involved with this project. It may help you as well because the lessons are so well-crafted! I know because I have begun to practice using specific tools and have better developed life coping skills as I read the lessons.

This project conducts in-prison pesonal-grwoth trainings for inmates. They've been doing this successfully for about 20 years. Surprisingly, volunteers who are not inmates often report earning as much or more than the inmates do. In this way, the surprising wisdom and learning of inmates becomes accessible to people who will never be in prison. Amazing.

I have volunteered with Freedom to Choose for 15+ years; not only has it benefitted my own emotional growth, but also that of the participants. We all learn and integrate science-based psychological principles into our lives as we literally improve our social/emotional maturity. I have witnessed many participants leave prison and successfully return to their communities with new skills that empower them to succeed.

It's a pleasure to recommend this nonprofit.

Healing Magic is the best way I can describe the experience of volunteering with this special nonprofit, Freedom to Choose. The best gift you can give yourself is to put aside your fear and the media stories around crimes and prison. Surrounded by the loving staff and volunteers at Freedom to Choose, you will enter prisons safely and calmly. Inside, you will be surprised to find people who are working hard to become better versions of themselves. The growth mindset skills and processes taught by Freedom to Choose are passports to peace and healing. You will leave more full of your own potential and inspired by the capacity of every human to transform, grow, and evolve. Rush to donate and volunteer with Freedom to Choose!

Having just participated in a “Freedom to Choose” (FTC) program, I would like to share some of my thoughts about the program. FTC leaders have tremendous understanding of men, women, and human beings of all ages.
This means the leaders can relate to and explain issues, reasons for various crimes, and mainly, how to heal ourselves and others. Without having attended various FTC programs, my wife and I would not have had the knowledge on how to lead programs we facilitated in Nashville, TN where we live.
For me personally, my understanding of why certain crimes are committed has begun to soften my heart and reduce judgements of those who have participated in them. Having attended numerous workshops, my heart has realized we all have had issues in our life and all of us respond based on what we know or believe. With the benefit of being trained at “Freedom to Choose” I feel as if I could have heart to heart talks with prisoners and now know I can touch their lives as they touch mine.
My thought now is that we all have hearts and understanding each other (which I’m learning) can happen and boost us into greater loving not only of the prisoners but also of ourselves. I’ve come into contact with various thoughts or judgements of myself and others and even as I type, I get a bit teary eyed knowing that I will continue to love even when in the past, that would not have been my first choice.
Now, I simply see those in Freedom to Choose work at prison as those participating in a class at high school, Sunday school, or other venues in which mind, hearts, and souls begin to blossom. Judgements are reduced when we realize that mistakes can be made but not all need to kill us or anyone else. Even as I type, tears fill my eyes, love blossoms, and I am convinced I will do my best to love all even if it includes looking at some of my own thoughts and beliefs.
My mind whispers to me when volunteering that I’m being taught love while I’m there and assisting others to start more loving actions and beliefs. And yes, when tears fill my eyes, they are like a cool shower on a hot day or a warm shower on a cold day.
My vision is that all participants (prisoners or teachers) will grow extremely loving, understanding, and filled with peace, joy, and loving understanding for all.

My name is Kirk and I have been a volunteer in Freedom to Choose for the last 18 years. It has become the non-negotiable experience for me multiple times a year. Why? Because of all the socially positive workshops, experiences, programs etc. I have ever participated in, nothing, nothing, nothing compares to FTC. And not just because the impact it has on the incarcerated participants as evidenced in how they go on to thrive once in the free world, but in how it profoundly impacts me and the other volunteers. We keep going back because of OUR growth and upliftment. It is incredible to absolutely know, that there is something in this world that without fail will truly lift up my evolution and peace as a human being. FTC simply, always, does that.

The Freedom to Choose Project provides incarcerated individuals with personal and professional growth strategies that have proven effective for hundreds of men and women for more than two decades. Not only do participants demonstrate greater maturity and life skills while inside, but they also take these skills back into the community in ways that make them better people and more productive and reliable employees. While the organization has to date been unsuccessful in procuring statistical proof from the prisons they have worked in that their participants experience less recidivism, the anecdotal evidence is profound.

As a reader for the Freedom to Choose Project I am able to participate although unable to physically visit as a volunteer to a prison. The opportunity to read and then respond to Growthwork is an opportunity to encourage another person as they work to do better. And it encourages me to do the same.

An unusually heartfelt and professional group! This comes from their origins within University of Santa Monica. Each month, on Saturday, 15 of us or more read and respond to growth homework from people in prisons. This helps me practice and expand my humility and self-honesty. It's pretty terrific.

I don't participate in the online trainings and live trainings in prisons. This is also available to those interested. You really learn how much people in prison have to teach us on "the outside."

I recommend this group to anyone interested in counseling, therapy and rehabilitation :)

I've been volunteering in The Freedom To Choose Project office for about four months. In that time I've been impressed with both the staff and the incarcerated participants. The staff is loving, compassionate, dedicated, and very hard working. It's obvious they believe in the work they are doing.

I am inspired by so many of the participants. Despite the challenges they have experienced, they are opening themselves to learning new ways that help them see the possibilities that are available by making different choices.

Im not officially a volunteer yet but i have had the opportunity to personally know someone who was extremely impacted by the love, compassion and opportunitys that this organization had to offer him while he was incarcerated. The program impacted his life in ways that made such a big difference not only to him but since his release he has been dedicated to paying it forward by continuing to better himself and for the first time in his life being a proud and productive member of society. He inspired me to join as a volunteer and has once again gotten involved but now as a new man. Iv seen what this organization has done for this one man and i am forever grateful to very single person involved. Bringing humanity to those who have been denied that seriously makes a huge difference. Im excited to spend more time and get more involved with this organization in the years to come
Thank you.

I have been volunteering with freedom to choose for over 20 years now. The work we’ve done in the prisons and in the community has changed my life, as well as the lives of many others. They provide information in a workshop format that allows participants to be fully integrated and participatory in a way that connects them with their heart, and allows them to get in touch with their emotions in a beautiful and insightful way. Most people leave these workshops with a feeling of self that they may have never had before. It is an awesome thing to watch people begin to love themselves. I absolutely believe Freedom to Choose should be selected as a Great Nonprofit Winner.

I have volunteered with the Freedom to Choose Projects several times at various prisons during their large group workshops. The experience has always been so heart-opening and healing for the volunteers as well as the participants. FTC has really showed me the value of living a service-oriented life!

I have been volunteering with FTC for many months now; it is such a rewarding experience. You truly get to connect and help some many incarcerated individuals on their journey towards growth and self-reflection. This organization is well-run and incredibly inclusive. The work load is flexible, so you can help out even if you have a busy schedule. Those involved with FTC are incredibly passionate about the work they do. It is an amazing organization to be a part of, and I plan to stay involved for many years!

I have followed The Freedom to Choose Project since it began. I have friends who volunteer at the prison workshops, and I was waiting until I retired to do that also. I'm retired now, however not in great health to do this. I love that I can come into the office and help. There is a wonderful energy involved with FTC work !!! Each story I hear or read, lift me. Each workshop at SBCC or adult ed, by FTC lifts me with new possibilities, not just for myself in my own life, but for others. I am so grateful, I know the blessings are here for us all, in prison, or out (or, in the prison of my own making :). Thank you FTC, for what you do, and allowing us all to take part, in so many ways. I love being a part of this, and admire all the work being done !

It is an honor to be able to volunteer with Freedom To Choose. It is amazing to observe people working to heal and grow and sharing so vulnerably and authentically. Each time I volunteer I am awed and find answers for myself and my life. Thank you.

I am so grateful for all the privilege I have been blessed with in life, however I am not ashamed to admit that even having lived with all the things we are conditioned to believe mean we are successful and will make us happy, I had spent a very long time feeling unaccomplished and very unfulfilled. Good job, good income, beautiful family and friends, nice car and home all the trimmings, but…. I have suffered silently and dreadfully from what we call depression, I call it the real pandemic and believe it is simply dissatisfaction. For me, all the regular pursuits outside of family and career have seemed a little pointless and no matter what I did, these heavy feelings of unaccomplished and unfulfilled have followed me and lead me to some not so good decisions. Volunteering with Freedom to Choose Project has turned my life around. Their incredible programs and transformational curriculum that I have helped deliver into prisons and jails in a variety of ways, together with the hope and resilience of the participants of their prison projects, that I have had the absolute humbling privilege of walking with in transformation, has been life changing for me. I am inspired daily by every element of FTC, their dedicated board, incredible team, extraordinary participants, passionate volunteers and community and their powerful curriculum. I really don’t have words to express how grateful I am to Freedom to Choose Project.

I have obtained many valuable skills throughout my internship at the Freedom to Choose Project. As someone considering starting a professional career in the non-profit sector, I got some valuable insight into how non-profit organizations work. In addition, my experience as an intern at FTC has developed my ability to communicate more effectively, advocate for my ideas and thoughts, and manage my time efficiently.

FTC differentiates itself from other organizations I have worked with by creating an environment of mutual respect. As a college student, usually the youngest in the room, my ideas and input often get overlooked. However, at FTC, I felt heard with every suggestion I presented and even strengthened my proposal writing skills further. They lead with compassion, understanding, and flexibility, and as an intern, I noticed. I was granted grace when needed and genuinely enjoyed my time going into the internship, as I would always leave having learned something new.

What incredible work The Freedom to Choose Project does. In a world where we are becoming more and more divided, this program is an opportunity to focus on our similarities. Here we become aware that each of us is a teacher and each of us is a student and as members of the human race we will do well to set aside our biases (and sometimes superior POV) and truly see each other.

I've been volunteering for FTC for many years and it's been fulfilling and life-changing. I can't wait until we can do in-person events again!

From the moment I seen all of the volunteers sitting down and eating lunch with other people in blue just like me I knew something was different about this program. I had such a powerful experience at my very first workshop. Any wall that I thought separated me from those I deemed as "normal" and "successful" people was completely shattered as one of the volunteers in my first trio opened up with such a personal and heartfelt struggle. It definitely created a space for me to share about something I had kept stuffed inside for years and allowed me to begin a process of inner healing I never knew was possible.

There is nothing more rewarding than participating with the work of Freedom to Choose. We all learn together valuable skills like how to communicate effectively, how to regulate emotions and actions, and how see the beauty in each other. Coming from the heart, we find our freedom from within whether inside or outside a prison.

Though I have been volunteering at The Freedom to Choose project for a relatively short time compared to other volunteers, I think it speaks volumes that this organization has retained such a stellar team of dedicated volunteers. Some of whom have been lending a helping hand for years!

For those of you reading this review, I can give you an idea of the work FTC has been doing during COVID-19. Instead of pausing their programming entirely due to the pandemic, the FTC team has managed to pivot and continue to educate inmates via mail correspondence. Not only that, but since the onset of the pandemic, FTC has expanded their reach out of California and has brought their programs out of state.

A big part of FTC’s mission is to help inmates discover that they are more than their worst choices. And the more your work with this organization, the more you find yourself able to turn this self-forgiveness inward. FTC’s programs teach skills that help us (inmates and those of us on the outside) support greater healing, effective communication, emotional intelligence, self-determination, and a higher degree of happiness. As a volunteer, I can tell you that I have learned so much compassion and empathy, all while gaining an understanding of how FTC’s core teachings can be useful to each of us.

I have been a volunteer with Freedom to Choose since 2006. The workshops inside the California prisons we visit are life transforming, both for the inmate participants and those fortunate to volunteer. The communication skills that are taught are very effective both for me personally and in my work. Freedom to Choose project gives me the opportunity to give back to community in a way that is fulfilling and uplifting.

Amazing, heart-centered work is being done here, even during the pandemic. This project began with important, interactive, healing work being done by teams of volunteers going into one prison. Now it's being done remotely, by teams of volunteers supporting people in prison through written homework. Still changing hearts, still healing lives. Such a blessing in this world!

This project makes the world a better place. Everything that is done with this organization is done with the upmost integrity.

How did I find my way to prison? I was finishing my Masters in Spiritual Psychology at the University of Santa Monica. A community service project of 80 hours was part of your degree. I had heard of the Freedom to Choose project through my years at school but never gave it much thought. I had not had much exposure or experience within the prison system. FTC was a small grass roots non profit at the time based in Santa Barbara and thats where I live so it felt like a sign. The doors flung open and I ran through. I've been a part of this group of amazing volunteers and participants since 2014. I remember the first time, my first project at Valley State Mens Prison. It felt so overwhelming. By overwhelming I mean I had never felt gratitude so experientially. I remember crying driving home as I was so filled, I couldn't hold it anywhere else in my body. The love, gratitude, empathy, courage, admiration, and kindness by everyone: participants and volunteers. It was extraordinary. Running through the door ever since. My mother in law used to ask me why I am volunteering in the prison when there is so m much need elsewhere. I always respond, "it's all in service to humanity." Supporting Humans.

FTC has been a big part of my transformation and success pre and post release. I’m so grateful for the love, kindness and support I’ve received from volunteers and my brothers in blue. With FTC I feel like I’m home.

While the mission may seem enticing, the execution of this work is deeply flawed. The leadership in this organization is deeply entrenched in bias. There’s an inability to reflect and acknowledge the feedback given to them. If you’re looking for performative activism that maintains the status quo, this is the place for you.

I have been volunteering with The Freedom To Choose project since 2011. I have attended a couple hundred workshops and classes in that time. The response of all those participating has been, and continues to be, phenomenal.

I have witnessed many volunteers and participants share how amazing it felt to be heard and cared for in a way they had never felt before, all while learning how to be there and support others in experiencing the same by using the skills taught by Freedom to Choose.

Working with the all-volunteer teams has been a beautiful experience. Everybody comes together accomplish tasks, mundane or massive, with grace. It's a lot of work, but it still feels like a vacation for me.

Th incarcerated participants are a pleasure to work with. The women in the class I oversee every week are instrumental in making things happen and guiding the newer participants along the path of self discovery. They feel a well-deserved ownership in the proceedings and pride in what we have been able to accomplish together.

You might think that I'd be immune to the profound shifts I see in the people participating in the program after all this time, but I am not. It's a consistently beautiful experience that I have learned much from.

The skill sets taught and practiced every week have moved me quite a bit further down the road of my personal growth. I have seen these skills lead to true inner freedom for all participants inside the walls and out.

What touches me the most about participating at the Freedom to Choose Project is the service of loving and caring that is so present with everyone who serves as a volunteer. Needless to say that it’s a great blessing for everyone.

I feel blessed as a FTC volunteer team member now for over 10 years. Witnessing the shift in the participants and myself as we all grow and heal together has been one of the greatest gifts in my life.
My hope is to continue as an active volunteer thru my life offering love, peace, compassion and hope for us all to heal and create the world we dream of.

I have known about this project since 2006 when attending University of Santa Monica and I have been volunteering for almost a decade. I support this organization in person as a volunteer and also as a donor. It is a truly remarkable and transformational program for not just the inmates, but the volunteers as well. The leaders along with the tools and skills that are taught create an emotionally safe environment free of judgement where everyone who is participating can feel free to truly and authentically express themselves. In this type of container where heart centered listening, unconditional love and forgiveness are the driving intentions, so much healing can - and does- occur. It is palpable. I have watched the organization go from one prison - to (I think ) 5 now and I am committed to continuing to being a part of its expansion. I have chosen to dedicate the “service” part of my life to just two groups so I can focus my energies- and this is my top choice . I love it so much that even though I no longer live in California, I still fly out for the volunteer weekends every chance i get ! My heart and passion lies with Freedom To Choose , its dedicated founders, staff and volunteers and with all our fellow incarcerated brothers and sisters who follow their courage to change and heal through this amazing work. ❤️❤️

I’ve been volunteering with this organization since 2005. I’ve watched it change lives from the inside out, literally. I’ve seen miracles happen over the years, and am honored to be connected to this work. Freedom to Choose provides people in prison the opportunity to learn how to be free inside themselves through forgiveness, taking responsibility, loving communication, seeing others with respect, and so much more. It works.

Freedom to Choose has provided me with one of the most inspirational, transformational experiences of my life. FTC's mission is to help the incarcerated; however, as a volunteer for over a decade, I have received more than I have given. The skills which are experientially practiced at the workshops have become more and more a part of my persona and life approach. This is a non-profit which literally empowers both its incarcerated participants and its volunteers.

The Freedom To Choose Project is the most worthwhile nonprofit organization I have ever been involved with. It allows me to be an activist and serve those in need in the most meaningful way I know. I have seen miracles occur with those this Project serves. It is of the highest integrity with true honesty of expression, deep compassionate communication, full acceptance of all involved and working with one accord for the maximum benefit of all connected to the Project: inmates, staff and volunteers. The willingness and consideration that proliferates is extraordinary. I have worked in corporate America for 35 years and have never seen the effectiveness that I see in the Freedom To Choose Project. I am so grateful for its existence and am hopeful it will proliferate throughout our society.

I've volunteered with Freedom To Choose. I give this non-profit five stars because of its levels of dedication, quality and excellence, on all levels. The workshop experience is life-changing for participants, designed to completely shift their relationship with themselves and others. This non-profit is doing more good to alter the prison system and fabric of society than any I know.

Excellent program! This program embodies a heart-centered approach. Each participant is greeted with kindness, empathy, dignity, and respect. I have volunteered with FTC over several years and assert that this work provides equal value to both the participants and volunteers. Many of the participants feel that they have been thrown away and forgotten by society. It has been very affirming to see the shift in their expressions when we listen deeply to their stories and life experiences. It provides them with an opportunity to free themselves from the past, let go of self defeating judgements, take responsibility for what happened, and be free to choose, truly free to choose differently in each moment. Rain W., PhD

Last weekend I participated in my 4th Freedom to Choose workshop. As always it was a deeply powerful and uplifting experience. You might not expect that being one of about 75 volunteers working with about 200 inmates could be uplifting, but it truly is. The US criminal justice is very flawed and these opportunities to do something about it, even if it's only to donate generously, are wonderful and much appreciated.

Highly recommend going to prison.

I am not going to lie. It was overwhelming watching 200 (ish) men walking towards the gym to take this course. My heart overflowed witnessing the eagerness of many of these men to really turn their lives around. I have been to many self-help events and nowhere have I come across the desire and commitment that these men displayed. My heart broke for the many men in this group who didn't know they had value. No one should have to go through life thinking they are a piece of sh*t.

I am truly not sure who benefited more from this event. The participants or me. I am truly humbled and Gestalt is right. We are more than the sum of our parts.

I have been volunteering with The Freedom to Choose Project for a number of years and the experience of being a volunteer has been life-changing. I came into prison with so many preconceived ideas of what prison was like and most definitely what prison inmates were like. As I sat and got to know the women in front of me, I could honestly say that I had more in common with them, then not. I get to practice seeing the person, their true essence and not what they have done. I've witnessed people change over time doing this work and I am one of them. I remember an inmate stood up and shared once "the difference between The Freedom to Choose Project and the rest of the groups that come here, is that they always talk to us from the stage, but you sit right next to us. I feel like a human being again." This non-profit is incredibly unique and special and I am blessed to be a part of it.

There are seriously no words that can really describe what takes place with Freedom to Choose's work and the experience it creates.

Imagine having never once been told in your entire life that you are worth a damn. Imagine having never had anyone support you. Imagine that you had only experienced loss, violence, neglect, and shame throughout your life. Imagine having never been congratulated for anything you've done or even just smiled at for no reason.

Freedom to Choose goes into the prisons and literally offers hope to those who may never have had it. The volunteers smile at everyone, they genuinely love every person they meet and see, and they look past any wrongdoings someone may have been involved in. They separate the action from the person, and by doing this, they are able to love the individual regardless of anything they may have done in the past.

For many prisoners, this is the first time they have ever been able to experience someone loving them and acknowledging that they are worth something.

Freedom to Choose allows prisoners, and the volunteers, to unwind their past experiences, find their own soul and worth, and help them in starting into new beginnings--beginnings filled with hope, encouragement, acknowledgement, and support.

I had never witnessed true hopelessness before I went into the prison. It was an unexplainable experience, but then what was even more unexplainable was being able to see that true hopelessness turn around. I actually got to witness it. So many times I've been able to see the exact moment when someone believes, for the first time possibly in their entire lives, that they are truly worth something. It is a feeling that can only be experienced, and one that nothing else in my life compares with.

I have honestly never witnessed a more powerful program for a more perfect community. I've seen some of the prisoners go on to help heal their own family members and friends and others around them in their community once they get out, because of what they learned in Freedom to Choose.

If I were a beauty queen and was asked what I thought could bring world peace, I would say the work Freedom to Choose does.

I joined this program as a volunteer with the expectation to help others. The program provided thorough training and provided impeccable support to all the volunteers. After my experience I found that I not only achieved a goal to help others but that this experience change me as well. Freedom to Choose restores justice through education to the incarcerated and bridges community to find insight and hope in our world. Freedom to choose is a non-profit community service organization like non other I have experienced and I hope to bring this program to my community in New Mexico.

I want to express my gratitude and appreciation for the Freedom to Choose Project facilitators for the incredible and heart opening workshop you designed for the VSP weekend. I applaud you for your courage and willingness to discuss the subjects of racism and diversity which are real areas of challenge for our society, even for our conscious communities. As all of the facilitators stood in front of us and shared your own stories and experiences, I felt sense of opening and courage that was really profound. I grew up in environments where I did not see many people who looked like me or understand my cultural experiences, but I knew we are all the same. I love this work so much because it gets to the truth of who we really are and invites us to embrace our divine humanity with love and acceptance.

In my trios, I observed men with rigid bodies and distant stares light up with bright and focused eyes and beautiful smiles after the exercises. The awe I felt seeing them transform before my eyes was heart opening. On several occasions, some men told me that they wouldn't have even considered sitting down talking to another race and how different they felt after the exercises. I, too, shared their enlightenment as I became aware of my own judgments of things I thought were small and opportunities for releasing false beliefs with compassion and forgiveness.

I was inspired by all the facilitators. They held a honest, loving and supportive space for all of us the entire weekend. I watched all of them channel Light into their interactions with the inmates. The end of the workshop was magical when the six of them stood together for the final sharing modeling the workshop theme. I sensed the Light of Spirit moving through and around them. It was like a beautiful blanket of Love being woven with masterful strands of Light that were unique to each of them. They were on one accord and it was amazing to feel and watch.

I've been to several Freedom to Choose workshops in the past and they've been wonderful. This one touched my heart deeply and the joy I saw on the inmates faces was out of this world.

Thanks again for your willingness to bring a challenging subject out into the open with love, grace and kindness for individual and communal healing.

The brilliant James Baldwin said "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." This past weekend at Valley State Prison was a powerful demonstration of that statement.

Both the incredible Freedom to Choose Volunteer Team and the men attending the Advanced Workshop faced - and spoke about - "the elephants in the room" around diversity and race. The sharings were profound as many found a safe place to "speak their unspeakables" and really hear each other's experiences. Compassion was the dominant theme. Next we could do that workshop out here in the Free World...

I had the pleasure of being of the 79 volunteers to assist the Freedom to Choose Project team last weekend. I found it be one of the most heartwarming, uplifting, and humbling opportunities to be of service. I have the most respect for this foundation, they have found a way to connect to the prisoners heart and offer them a chance to be seen and heard as individuals not just as their crimes. I'm beyond grateful for this team, it offered me a true and rare opportunity to truly practice seeing the loving essence of the prisoners without any judgments. Not to condone their crime, but in no way, their crime was relevant to me. I was able to encourage them to separate themselves from their crime, in order to forgive themselves and move-on, regardless of their location (inside or outside of the jail). I found this experience liberating and uplifting and I left with my heart filled with joy and gratitude for humanity. Thank you to Freedom to Choose Project and all its supporters.

I've been a volunteer since 2010. The workshops get better each time I go. The inmate participants express so much gratitude for our presence and what they learn. Parole boards in CA look very favorably on an inmate's participation. There is a reason why there is a HUGE demand for this program!

In my very first experience with the Freedom To Choose Project, I truly understood what Change from the Inside meant. I thought I was going inside a prison to bring hope and inspiration to others. I discovered that I was also truly serving myself by sharing the human experience of saying to another , "I am a human with feelings and life challenges just like you".

The Freedom to Choose Project has allowed me to make good on a childhood promise I made to myself many year ago - that when I grew up, I would be a part of bringing peace and love to this world.

I witnessed a tremendous amount of violence growing up on Chicago's southside during the 60's. I survived several major riots, the Vietnam war, gang warfare and even more in the urban street environment.

Being a witness to mankind's inhumanity to man so early in life, I became aware that there was inside of us a great Light, revealed through our eyes, and designed to awaken all of us to Love as the healing balm.

In the Freedom to Choose Project I have rediscovered how to tap into my inner Light and to see this same Goodness in others. I've been able to practice the power of listening and honoring the value of another human life. Most fulfilling to me is the fact that I have uncovered my own purpose and mission in life to make a difference in the life of another by bringing light and love into the world in a very special way.

Not many people on the planet can say that they have found the meaning of their life. The Freedom to Choose Project has helped me to find mine.

Working with women who were incarcerated in prison humbled me. They had all broken the law but they also had often faced tragic home lives, felt the toil of drug addiction, and not had role models. I volunteered to help the inmates with communication skills so that they can defuse emotions and have a better chance of success when they parole.

Entering a prison for the first time in my life as a volunteer, I didn't know quite what to expect. I had seen the video documentary for the Project, and I hoped I would recognize some of the women I would meet. Entering the gymnasium to set up, it was much like setting up for any workshop. Then the women entered, and they were smiling. The first ones to arrive were excited to welcome us into their home, and into their hearts.

In some ways, it would be like any other workshop. Everyone begins the workshop from a perspective based on where they are in life. The workshop is designed to allow people to participate in deep, emotional healing work. I was honored to work with women who were willing to go to places they had never been in service to changing their lives, healing past wounds, and creating a future different from the one they may have imagined before entering the gym.

It didn't take long for me to shift to relating to everyone as "just regular people." Some of the challenges the women shared with me were no different than challenges faced by friends, or sometimes myself. I was humbled by the willingness of some of the women to truly face their challenges and choose new ways of being.

Later, when the Freedom to Choose Project began holding workshops in the men's prison, I was excited to join the volunteers in bringing the workshops to a new community. I was again humbled and awed by the men and the way they participated. I witnessed a willingness to be honest and share deeply, and to let go of old patterns, habits, and beliefs. I witnessed a group of men who stood in support of one another as a community. I witnessed transformation on the faces of the men I was privileged to work with individually.

I cannot say enough good things about the Freedom To Choose Project and what they are accomplishing. The volunteers, donors, and leaders are making a difference in the lives of the men and women we all serve. And the benefits are multiplied through improved relationships with family and friends. I am blessed to be a part something so magical.

If you want to understand what “unconditional” means and what it is like to be unconditionally loving, do direct service work as a volunteer for Freedom to Choose. It has changed my perspective on everything and everyone. I have been a volunteer at Valley State Prison for men since 2014. It is one of the most important things I do each year. I am humbled to work with these men and our exceptional group of volunteers. It changes our lives!

This is one experience that words just cannot convey the impact it has on the lives of the participants and the volunteers. When friends ask how my experience with Freedom To Choose (FTC) went, the only word that comes to mind is REVELATORY. The work that Bonnie and David have dedicated to is soul-filling and continues to evolve within each one of us even after the volunteer opportunity. I am reminded of the old saying about giving a man a fish and then teaching him to fish. FTC both gives each one of us a fish (the gift of compassion and love) and then teaches us how to fish so that we can feed the world. An incredible nonprofit!

I had the opportunity to be the production coordinator for the Freedom to Choose documentary. It was an honor to work with Drs. David & Bonnie Paul and see them in action at the prison. https://vimeo.com/search?q=freedom+to+choose I am a graduate of the University of Santa Monica and being with the inmates with David, Bonnie, and the other inmates in a caring way was very powerful, healing, and empowering.

I have been to the Prison as a volunteer more than 20 times. It is the highlight of my year. There is so much love, acceptance, trust and gratitude when we are there that it is my belief that the entire prison feels this on some level. Being apart of this project has allowed me to feel that I can make a difference in the world, one person at a time. I am so grateful for my affiliation and inclusion in this project

When I first started to speak with my friends and family about FTC I gave a brief description as a place I went to teach the skills from USM. My experiences helped opened my heart, I now simply share that It's one of the most loving places I know of.

The work we all do at the prisons is truly transformational. In my mind, its the truest thing I have ever seen to true rehabilitation for inmates (participants). But its so much more than that. Everyone learns and is transformed - participants and volunteers alike. It was profoundly moving to volunteer for the first time and truly be of service for the beautiful human beings currently having a prison experience. I'm so grateful to be part of this work.

I have been volunteering for Freedom To Choose for a year, and I am so blessed to be part of this organization and the very important work that they do in our society. It's truly special to be part of these workshops in prisons and knowing what a tremendous positive impact this work has on the participants and their loved ones too.
As a cherry on top, the integrity of FTC is perhaps the greatest I have experienced within any organization I have volunteered for.

This charity organization works very closely with inmates. It basically teaches them profressional level communication skills that originate from a very clear, calm, and heart-centered place. The charity's method of teaching skills shifts the consciousness of the inmates understanding to look at the different choices they have in any given situation even while they deal with their reactive triggers. By teaching and practicing these skills, the inmate learns quickly that it empowers them to calmly make a better self honoring choice, and take full responsibility. The charity identifies the processes of what's going on inside of them that often keeps them repeating their old behavioral patterns that causes them and others so much anger, upset, and anguish. The charity instead shows them new ways to consciously reprogram themselves from a loving place, for their highest good and all those concerned.

Having devoted a majority of my adult life to service, interacting and working with numerous non-profits, I have absolutely no reservations in sharing that in my humble but experienced opinion, none have been more financially responsible, nor as effectively benefactor life changing. Founders David & Bonnie Paul exemplify and embody truth and integrity in all they say and do. It is this exampleship from the top down through all we volunteers, which is the secret sauce that makes FTC so amazingly impactful. In a nutshell, FTC assists souls having a prison experience, in owning the limitless empowerment of taking 100% responsibility for everything they think, feel, say and do, making them candidates as much more effective, productively reintegrated members of society.

This is a truly heartfelt organization that brings education and healing to those who are incarcerated so they can step forward with a greater understanding of how to experience more inner peace and internal freedom. This not only benefits their lives, but also the lives of those around them. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to volunteer for Freedom to Choose.

This amazing organization provides a beacon of light to those who have previously chosen to shun the light. FTC opens the door to those willing to step through and find inner peace, provides signposts and directions and with the volunteers who work with FTC, to assist all who are willing to join with us in finding the inspiration to change.

OMG - there are no words to describe the incredibleness of this organization and what they have brought to the prisons and to folks out of prison!!! I go with the clear intention of being of service and what happens? I get my own healing as well. To listen to these folks share and grow is a Gift beyond words! I love witnessing them "wake up" to themselves and to bring Forgiveness into their lives. What's reallllllly cool is to come back time after time and to see how each person has integrated these incredible "tools" into their life and how they've grown inwardly. They also share what they've received with the inmates who haven't attended, so someday, the "hundredth monkey" phenomenon is going to shift our prison system. Keep on keeping on Freedom to Choose! I'm all in!

My experience with Freedom To Choose changed my life. This program is actually doing what I sense so many well-intended individuals and organizations are hoping to do - truly supporting the rehabilitation of a person that is incarcerated. I have never experienced a greater presence of LOVE than in the gymnasium of a maximum security prison. That is because when you stand in the loving, miracles do occur.

The workshops that Drs David and Bonnie Paul have carefully crafted are simple, yet deep and they touch the souls of these individuals allowing them to experience the power of forgiveness and inner freedom. This work is changing the culture of these prisons.

The volunteers come from all over the country to serve and also to receive. This work is sacred and I have no doubt that humanity is waking up to the tremendous opportunities that exist within our justice and prison systems. Freedom To Choose is serving as a catalyst and a conduit for this reform.

My time working with the men and women that are incarcerated, and all the volunteers has deeply connected me with my heart and my humanity. I am forever grateful and will continue to serve each year in any way I can.

I first experienced Freedom to Choose when I volunteered just 2 months after graduating from the University of Santa Monica's Spiritual Psychology program, having been touched by the then newly released award-winning documentary. I felt compelled to experience it for myself.
At the end of the project I flew from Fresno to San Francisco, a path directly over Valley State Prison for Women (VSPW), where I'd just spent 3 days transforming my own life - while supporting female inmates in their processes of creating inner freedom. (Who knew I would heal my own hurts more powerfully in 3 days of Freedom to Choose than 2 years at USM?)
As my plane flew over VSPW, I entered into a meditative, dream-like state in which I envisioned some 70 heart-centered volunteers entering VSPW. I could feel the loving energy in my heart while simultaneously sensing its presence filling the prison. The image evolved into streams of loving energy leaving the prison - through letters and phone calls, visitors coming and going, and ultimately people leaving healed and whole... I saw the fibers of Love creating a Web of Loving that circled the globe, touching and healing everyone, everything...
Since that first project some five years ago, I've only missed two. During the times I missed, I awoke at 5 am every morning wondering why I had chosen to not be there. I can not think of another thing I would rather do! Now, women have been released from VSPW (so many "found suitable"... Of course they are!) VSPW has become just VSP - Valley State Prison - and it houses men. Men who heard about Freedom to Choose and wanted it too! And are committed to using it as a pathway to their own freedom.
What makes this particular nonprofit so special and successful? I don't know all of the reasons... but what comes to me are these:
- a large pool of dedicated, heart-centered volunteers who are willing to heal themselves and work together in one accord to create a safe and loving environment for others to experience the kind of vulnerability that opens the heart and the mind
- a curriculum that uses science to affirm the power of the heart and mind
- facilitated experiential learning exercises that harmonize and heal the heart and mind
- a spiritual perspective that recognizes the divinity of all beings beyond the limitations of religion; using affirming, accepting language of "God/Spirit/your Higher Power" to create an invitation to experience Life as more than what we might have been taught
- a prayerful leadership style that allows for inspiration and flexibility
- a respect for Life and ALL Life experiences
- a Safe environment in which to reconsider everything we've learned and decide through an inner knowing what's really true... and then to practice living in this heart-centered space together.

I have now been volunteering for the Freedom to Choose Foundation for 5 years and have had the opportunity to participate in 13 prison workshops as well as several community workshops and events. I have had first hand experience in seeing the results that this work accomplishes for many people. Many of those we serve are on the fringes of society, some are without contact with friends or relatives on the outside of the institutions. We volunteers have the privilege of reminding them that by their very nature, they are worthy human beings just as we are. It reminds me that one group of people dedicated to loving service can effectively reach out to another group and affect change in the world. It has to start somewhere. Hurt people may hurt people, but healing people heal people.

My life-changing weekend with male inmates

After speaking to my father about my experience with the male inmates last weekend at Valley State Prison, he asked me to write about it so he could publish in his news letter (Dow Theory Letters.) I told him I didn’t know if I could put into words the profound way these 150 men changed my life forever. I avoided my computer, the task too big the emotions still lingering. How could I explain a feeling so deep and a connection with murderers so strong… How could I explain that after last weekend I knew for sure we all are the same. Only circumstances and choices separate us. It could have been my father in there, my son or my brother. I couldn’t let the opportunity escape me. Father knows best and I needed to find the words and write.
When I began my education at the University of Santa Monica in Spiritual Psychology in 2007 I could sense my life was on an uphill swing and my new skills would serve me well. I knew in recent years I could even help others find their “tool box for happiness” but I never really understood until working with these beautiful men how profound an impact I could make on their lives and more so the effect they would have on mine. There were 80 of us and 150 of them who were ready and willing to make a change. To be seen to be heard to be loved. The Freedom to Choose Volunteers had gone to Valley State Prison three times before (to do these workshops) some of the men had done all of the workshops. One man said he was angry when the volunteers left last time. He blamed God for “giving him a taste of what love felt like and then yanking it back leaving him feeling worse off then before.” I asked him what he had done to get past the anger at God. “I went to the therapist here, “ he said. “She taught me that I could get that good feeling back by continuing to study the hand- outs and do the work the volunteers taught me. I learned it’s in my power to be happy and I can create peace inside all on my own.” Another young man came up to me after the first day and told me I reminded him of a girlfriend he had when he was 17. He said he had been in prison since he was 18 and hadn’t felt anything in all these years until he saw me. “I’m 38 now, I’m getting out in 4 years. I’m happy I’m feeling again!” He asked if he could write me and I told him I didn’t think I would be reading or writing letters. (because I’m an actress and have had fear in the past that things could go wrong having a pen pal in prison.) The following day, after we treo’d (the process of teaching a skill such as letting go of judgment for example) I heard his story. He said everyone in his family, his parents, his grand parents his brother and recently his sister had passed away. He felt so alone in the world and worthless. He had been in solitary confinement for many years until he learned through the prison programs how to interact with people. Suddenly I whispered in his ear “you can write to me, I want to help you.” He said he had thought that this may be the only time we would ever meet and he wanted me to remember it so he brought me a picture of him . My heart fell out of my chest. My friend and I had lunch the first day with 2 men. I told one of them he reminded me of my son. He beamed. The other man said he had been incarcerated since he was 17 for murdering the rapist of his 5 year old daughter. He also told us he was so nervous to speak to us and was wondering why. I said it was probably because it was something new and he wanted to make a good impression on us. The next day the first man came up to me and said “remember you told me I remind you of your son?” I smiled, “Of course I do!” “Well I want to make you proud and I want to make something of myself now.” He gave me a poem he wrote and I told him I think he found his calling as a poet and asked him to read it to the group which he bravely did. One man shared that he hadn’t had a visit in 38 years of being in prison. He considered this a visit and he cried, we all did. Another man thanked us for treating them like human beings and not forgetting they were in there. Another man said he heard the weekend would be amazing and that a transformation was going to happen and everyone was going to leave feeling incredible. He never imagined we would be sitting next to them. He was surprised and happy. I’m so grateful I got the opportunity to do this work and make a difference to people who deserve another chance. If I were given their circumstances, their environment or their parents, (maybe lack there of) Would I be in prison now? I’m going to remember last weekend forever. I’m going to hold each of them in my prayers as I know all of the Freedom to Choose Volunteers are in theirs.

This was by far the most powerful volunteering experience I have ever had. The men were so full of gratitude for being treated with love and respect. I know this raised the consciousness of our entire world!

FTC is a unique organization which reaches out to the hearts and minds of incarcerated souls who have no great reason to find comfort and hope in a bleak sort of world. FTC brings to these people an opportunity to look inside and discover the inner-heart that exists in all of us, to connect with that heart and to explore alternative views about their current lives. It is in the delivery of these messages that the volunteers of FTC find their own opportunities to re-connect with their hearts and to share their spiritual (and very real and practical) formulas for living a wholesum internally rewarding life.

Freedom to Choose is a nonprofit organization that rises above the rest. I have experienced extreme healing not only for the men but for myself as a volunteer as well. I am so blessed being a volunteer for this foundation and have the dates inked in my calendar!

There are many worthy organizations doing good work in the world. The Freedom to Choose Foundation is worthy of special recognition.

As a volunteer, I personally both witnessed and experienced the profound transformation of the men that I worked with during this experiental program. To sit with inmates that have spent the better part of their lives incarcerated, feeling forgotten, unloved and rejected and watch as the light in their eyes and hearts go on, as they are experiencing unconditional love and acceptance for the first time in their lives.

There are no words to express what it feels like to hear someone say it is the first time in their life they felt like a human-being.

This program changes lives - for the better. It needs to be expanded into all prisons. all release programs, all schools, all over the country. They are truly do good work in the world!

My experience with Freedom to Choose is really an experience of being the change we want to see in the world, as suggested by Gandhi. I am so moved by how the Facilitators walk the talk and really honor the experience of each participant. It is nothing short of a miracle to witness a person remember that they are worthy and valuable and that its ok to get a second chance.

This is a non-profit that is making a difference in the prison system. I have been involved with Freedom To Choose Foundation and am astounded by the work that is being done. The integrity level of the people in this organization is impeccable and the volunteers dedicated and committed to making a change in the world.

Lives transform with the work taught during The Freedom To Choose workshops. Those whom have felt as if they don't matter begin to find meaning & purpose in their lives. They come to know the truth of who they really are thus their lives change. They become more loving, soul-centered individuals. They in turn see others through the same lens of perception which now elimates the need for violence, anger, retribution & self-destructive patterns of behavior. As their lives have more meaning, they begin to make more meaningful contributions to the world. Freedom To Choose is by far the best organization I have ever had the privilege to volunteer with.

I have never encountered an organization so fully dedicated to bringing love and healing and new ways of living life to those who so need it--inmates, parolees, at-risk adults and youth--indeed to everyone involved, volunteers and all participants too. Our society needs more of this kind of work. I have been a volunteer for Freedom to Choose since 2004.

I have been volunteering with Freedom to Choose for 11 years. The healing and transformational work that happens with the inmates during this workshop is profound. This is one of the most meaningful organizations that I have ever been involved with.

It is such an honor to serve on the Board of a foundation that has such a high level of commitment and integrity for themselves, their volunteers and those they serve.
Over the past 12 years I have witnessed lives transformed, families transformed and even the culture within prisons transformed. This is truly an effective program that is making a difference in the world!

I have been volunteering for Freedom To Choose since 2006. Wow!! What amazing work this organization, it's directors, and its volunteers do. We absolutely receive more than we give. It is a magnificent organization!!!!

I've worked with FTC for over 8 years now, as part of their workshops in multiple prisons. The work this organization does -- gets results. It provides inmates with new mental and emotional frameworks that result in different and more productive thoughts, feelings and most importantly - behaviors.

Supporting this organization is a way to make a meaningful contribution in people's lives who - in the past - haven't had access to the resources and skills to support a productive and happy way of being in the world.

WOW!
What better gift can there be? We get to witness divine souls, having a prison experience, transform through embracing the empowerment of taking 100% responsibility for everything they think, feel, say & do. This is rehabilitation in its' finest hour,
preparing these individuals to re-enter society, enthusiastic to make a meaningful contribution, serving themselves & others.

I am amazed at the insightful, innovative processes that Freedom to Choose Foundations uses with inmates in prison to actually get them to discuss, and then experience, love and self-forgiveness. With seemingly simple communication skills, FTCF teaches incarcerated individuals the ability to express, with respect and love, their most intimate feelings. Such a wonderful healing takes place in just one two-day workshop. For those inmates who are able to attend several workshops over time, the healing is integrated into their everyday lives, shared with their family and friends, and offers a totally new way of living...regardless whether this individual ever paroles.

I have been volunteering with Freedom to Choose for 12 years. We go into both the Men's prison at VSP and the Women's Prison at CCWF in Chowchilla, Ca in the Fall and Spring of every year. We do a two day educational workshop teaching life changing and transformational communicational skills. We have done a documentary that won an award at the Cannes Film Festival. My experience is that the power of love and forgiveness transforms.
It is palpable in these workshops

Freedom To Choose is an AMAZING organization! Volunteering is one of the most inspiring incredible life-changing experiences. Please help support the work they are doing!!