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Today is the last day of Second Chance Month.
And we want to be honest with you, for The LOHM, this month was not a campaign. It was a declaration. Every story we shared, every woman we stood beside, every door we refused to let stay closed; that is what a second chance looks like when it is not just a slogan. This is what it looks like when it is a life.
As this month closes, we are not winding down. We are taking stock of everything we have built together and everything still ahead.
STAFF HIGHLIGHT: WE ARE THE SECOND CHANCE
We Are the Second Chance.
Look at this photo. Every woman on our Miami team has been directly impacted by the criminal legal system. Every single one. And today, every single one of them leads here.
Judith Negron, P4E Program Director, started as a participant now she designs the programs that open doors for women across our locations, bringing 30 years of mental health expertise and lived experience behind her.
Nia Cosby, Training Manager, turned the pain of watching her mother serve 15 years in federal prison into nationally recognized advocacy. ShaWanda Manuel, Fellowship Coordinator, is a Pathways 4 Equity alum herself, now leading others through the same door that once opened for her.
And Alina Feás, Miami Case Manager, brings a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a calling she says she did not fully find until she joined The LOHM in 2022.
This is not a program that not only serves justice-impacted women, we are an organization led by them.
FOWI ALUM HIGHLIGHT: TANYA PIERCE
This April, Tanya Pierce, FOWI Alumna, founder, advocate, and LOHM Legal Intern, took the stage at the Federally-Impacted Summit at John Jay College of Criminal Justice alongside some of the most powerful voices in justice reform, including US Pardon Czar Alice Marie Johnson.
As a panelist and founder of Life Unbolted, Tanya has spent years doing the essential work: negotiating day passes so 100 federally impacted people could attend a job fair together, connecting young adults to civil service careers, and fighting to keep people out of incarceration before it ever becomes their reality.
She is proof of what FOWI was built to create. A woman who found her voice, refined it, and walked into every room she was never supposed to enter and owned it.
Watch her at the summit and see exactly what that looks like.
THE LOHM EVENTS: ADVANCED PUBLIC SPEAKING TRAINING
Faces of Women Imprisoned (FOWI) is dedicated to amplifying the voices of justice-impacted women through storytelling, public speaking, authorship, and film. This advanced two-part workshop is for women who are ready to go deeper. To refine their voice, strengthen their delivery, and step into rooms they were never supposed to enter.
In this two-part session you will learn how to:
- Transform your story into a compelling speaking narrative
- Command a room with confidence and clarity
- Position yourself for paid speaking opportunities
- Navigate and maximize the FOWI Speakers Bureau for real bookings
📅 May 14 & May 21, 2026
🕓 4:00 PM EST
📍 Virtual via Zoom
THE LOHM EVENTS: PATHWAYS TO POWER
The LOHM and West Harlem Development Corporation are bringing a full community summit to the heart of West Harlem. This is not a conference. It is a weekend built around you: your access, your opportunity, your next move.
Over three days, you will connect with real resources, real leaders, and real community across economic empowerment, workforce pathways, financial wellness, leadership development, storytelling, and healing. Plus a special stop on the Rewriting Her Story book tour.
Whether you are rebuilding, rising, or ready for what is next, this space was made for you.
COMMUNITY EVENTS: PULL UP & PLAY
Pull Up & Play is more than just a sports clinic—it’s a community coming together to show Prince George’s County youth that their potential has no limits.
Join us and our friends at Pull Up Fund for an afternoon of sports, games, food, giveaways, music, and community. Try a new sport, build skills, and ignite your passion for play.
When: Saturday, May 9 | 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Where: Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex
Cost: FREE! (Registration required)
Important Details:
- All youth under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
- Bringing a group of 10+? Email events@pullupfund.org to get everyone registered at once!
LOHM EVENTS: GIVE NOLA DAY
Hope House NOLA is more than a home. It is where healing begins. And right now, the women who live there deserve a space that reflects that.
On May 5th, The LOHM is participating in Give NOLA Day to transform the Hope House backyard into something our residents have never had, a safe, restorative outdoor space designed for gathering, reflection, and wellness. We are removing the existing pool and replacing it with intentional green space where women can breathe, heal, and just be.
Your gift makes it real. Every dollar directly funds the transformation.
APRIL BOOK SPOTLIGHT
What happens when a woman enters the belly of the beast and finds grace there?
Jailbirds in Flight by Nicole Daedone
Nicole Daedone walked into federal custody and found something no one expected — grace. Inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, she met OGs, hustlers, ministers, and mystics who turned fluorescent corridors into something sacred. This book is their story. A love letter to the human soul and proof that freedom begins long before the gates open.
MAKE AN IMPACT
April ends at midnight. The need does not.
Second Chance Month gave us a spotlight. What you give today keeps the work going when the spotlight is gone. Re-entry. Housing. Economic opportunity. Education. Advocacy. Every dollar you give funds the women who need it most right now.
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