"The day 26-year-old Kay Kay was released from jail after serving six
months, she walked into the lobby with nothing but the clothes on her
back, a ride, a little money she made working in the commissary, and the
hope she could start a new and better life.
"When her caseworker,
Jen Brzezinski, greeted her with a heavy backpack, Kay Kay (she declined
to use her real name) was thrilled. As soon as she got into
Brzezinski's car, she opened it to find all sorts of necessities to help
her start that new life.
"'I had nothing, just a little bit of
money,' Kay Kay said. 'After I opened it, I knew I'd basically be
relying on that bag at first. There was shampoo and conditioner, socks,
personal hygiene items, everything I needed to get started. The first
things I used was the notebook and pen to write about how I was feeling.
I discovered poetry while I was incarcerated.' . . .
"Kay Kay received the backpack because St. John's Episcopal Church in
Ashfield [MA] had set up a program, Love In A Backpack, with the jail for
women being released back into the community."
A recent article in The Recorder (Greenfield, MA) profiled the Love In A Backpack program.
To access the complete report, please visit:
The Recorder: Love In A Backpack program making a difference for women released from jail (28 NOV 19)
Background information:
St. John's Episcopal Church, Ashfield, MA
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