My Story
When my husband went to prison I grieved as if he had died. I couldn’t
imagine life without him! The idea of raising our children, paying the bills,
and having family fun, with just me to take the lead, was overwhelming.
Gradually I learned how to overcome depression, be a single parent, manage
the home on one income, and plan fun things to do with the children and
by myself. I didn’t learn how to do this alone. God brought people
and services into my life to show me how to continue having a successful
marriage, career, and social life, while my husband was in prison.
One day a thought was given to me—“What about all of the others
who have a family member in prison? How are they learning to adjust to this
way of life?” Three months later Extended Family, a support system
for families of prisoners, was born.
Having a family member sent to prison causes enormous changes in daily life.
If you are having this experience, I hope you will join us for a meeting
of Extended Family. You don’t have to make the adjustment alone.
If there was just one thing I could say to other family members of prisoners,
I would tell them that there is hope. We can be successful in every area
of our lives while the one we love is in prison. We can be happy and healthy
and have fun and be a blessing to others. Extended Family can give hope
and help.