We are so proud of the incredible 11 women that graduated at the end last month and so excited to see the wonderful things they go on to do! We had a beautiful graduation ceremony in which the women shared touching testimonies, gave their business pitch presentations, and shared what the program and instructors taught them.
Thank you to Tracy Mourning and Nana for speaking and inspiring the women! And thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly to teach Class 17.
|
|
April is the month of second chances and so many of our women are getting just that! Over the next couple months we are excited to introduce our recent graduates!
|
|
Jordan
was released at the very start of the month and was our first graduate to live in the LEAP House. She started work right away at Dragonfly and is doing great! She spends her free time with her six-year old daughter, who rumor has it, is a superb dancer!
|
|
Kindra
was released this past Monday! We are so happy she is well in at brand new LEAP House. She will begin working at Dragonfly this upcoming week.
Kindra's business is homemade jams, jellies, and goodies.
|
|
We have our own house!! For the past couple years The Center for Social Change was gracious enough to cover the expenses for a house in Little Havana that our graduates could call a home once they were out of prison. LEAP took the decision last month to lease a beautiful new home of our own!
Our stylish store manager Aelanna worked around the clock to make the house look welcoming to our most recent graduates. It looks so great that you'll consider moving in!
Keep an eye out on when our first pot luck will be!
We are so excited to have this house to offer to the women as a safe option post release but we can not do it without your help! In order to lessen the financial burden on LEAP and LEAP graduates we are asking our supporters to donate household necessities. Items include:
- Cleaning Supplies: Bathroom, Kitchen, Living.
- Paper Towels, Toilet Paper, Napkins
- Shower Products: Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash.
Supplies can be dropped off at Dragonfly Thrift Boutique.
|
|
We are so happy to announce that
Corinne Webb
has officially joined our team this month as the new
Case Manager
!
In 2017, LEAP created a partnership with Transitions, Inc. for the delivery of in-prison workforce readiness instruction and on-site job placement services for LEAP graduates living in Miami-Dade county. As Transition Inc.’s Reentry Director, Ms. Webb had the pleasure of teaching the Workforce Readiness course to LEAP participants in Classes 13 through 17. She also taught the Workforce Readiness course to youthful offenders at the Miami-Dade Boot Camp Program, to inmates at the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Miami and to women inmates at the County’s Metro West Detention Center. Prior to joining Transition, Ms. Webb served as a higher education administrator at various public and private universities in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio and Michigan. She also helped establish and administer the Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland.
|
|
Dragonfly Thrift Boutique
|
|
If you know Dragonfly you know it's a whole new store every time you walk in! We put out new items almost everyday, made possible because of YOU - our wonderful donors!
REMEMBER
Every Saturday is 25% off the entire store. But beware, some of our nicest items are gone before the weekend!
Follow us on Instagram to keep up with our latest merchandise.
|
|
Did You Know?
Dragonfly can help pack up your house and arrange pick ups if you want to donate in bulk, free of charge! We can also arrange to pick up any large donations. To arrange large donation pick ups or pack ups, give Aelanna a call at 833-757-5327!
|
|
DRAGONFLY THRIFT BOUTIQUE
|
|
|
Lash/ at Life House
We had a great time at Life House last Saturday! We got to meet small business owners from Little Havana and Miami residents; and tell them about our wonderful program at the Dragonfly Thrift Store. We are so excited to have built a tighter community and look forward to getting more involved with Little Havana!
|
|
Stitch & Bitch
We were so happy to have hosted Reading Queer at the store this past weekend for their Stitch & Bitch Poetry Workshop. People came out to support LEAP and the LGBTQA+ community, read poetry, and crochet their hearts out! We love hosting community events and supporting local groups, let us know if you have any interest hosting an event!
|
|
Are you a college or high school student interested in
prison and criminal justice reform?
women's empowerment?
social justice?
If so, LEAP invites you to apply to the
LEAP Ambassador Program
.
The aim of the Ambassador Program is engagement and advocacy on South Florida campuses around LEAP's mission of empowering women transition from prison.
Through this program, students will have the chance to make new friends, build their professional network, learn about the non profit sector and, of course, help make a positive impact in our community.
If you are interested in becoming an Ambassador for LEAP, please fill out the form below and plan to attend our next Volunteer and Ambassador Information Night
May 9 @ 6:30 PM.
|
|
Volunteer Information Nights are held the second Thursday of every month! Join us to learn more about LEAP and how you can volunteer to help out the ladies of LEAP.
The next Volunteer and Ambassador Information Night will be held on
Thursday, May 9 @ 630 PM
|
|
Join us for LEAP Community Connection Speaker Series on
Wednesday, May 8 @ 6:30PM.
The event will take place at Dragonfly Thrift Boutique:
3141 SW 8th Street
Miami, FL 33135
PARKING IN REAR
of Value Storage Facility: code to gate is *7575327# and street parking is available on SW 7th.
|
|
The Compassion Project
is a
photography project which aims to upend the preconceptions our society has about incarcerated women. Who are they? How did they become incarcerated? Who and what have they left behind? What is possible for them now?
The show,
scheduled to debut at the Coral Gables Museum June 7, 2019
, will also feature an audio tour component for listening to the women speak of their lives for a more intimate experience of the narratives. The project will be up for exhibit for a period of nine weeks starting June 2019 and open to the community and school groups. Reach out to us for more information and
Sponsorship Opportunities!
|
|
Engage With Us on Social Media
|
|
LADIES EMPOWERMENT AND ACTION PROGRAM
|
|
|
Thank you to our generous supporters!
|
|
Over the past 10 years working with women in prison, we at LEAP have learned that if given tools to succeed, most will remain crime free. Those tools include education, access to jobs, mental health and addiction services and housing.
Thanks to the support of our community, over the past 2 years LEAP has expanded from an in-prison program, to one that includes housing, employment and other support post release. We have been able to expand our services thanks to community support.
We are proud to announce that the Denise Moon Fund of the Miami Foundation, Capital One Bank and the Miami Foundation Community Grants Program recently awarded LEAP grants to expand our post release services, and to develop a comprehensive paid retail internship for LEAP graduates at the Dragonfly Thrift Boutique.
LEAP is 100% dependent on the generosity of our community. Please consider donating today.
|
|
Ladies Empowerment and Action Program | Dragonfly Thrift Boutique | (833) 757 - 5327 | [email protected] | www.leapforladies.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
