Giving Back
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Lisa Stewart - Volunteer at Heart
"To whom much is given, much will be required."
Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP)
Volunteer Facilitator
A Catalyst for Change
My journey into volunteering was inspired by John Huffington, a man who spent 32 years incarcerated—including 10 on death row—for crimes he did not commit. Despite the injustice of his sentence, John underwent a personal transformation from anger to a life of service. When I asked how to show incarcerated people they are not forgotten, he pointed me to AVP.
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The Work
Since 2022, I have served as an AVP workshop facilitator within California prisons. Watching men with lifetimes of trauma find fellowship and new tools for responding to violence has been a joyful labor of love.
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Healing Trauma: Guiding participants through personal healing and restoring relationships in facilitated weekend workshops.
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Choosing Non-Violent Responses: Providing tangible tools to avoid and de-escalate volatile situations.
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Building Fellowship: Creating a community that affirms the basic dignity and worth of every individual -- we build accountability and mutual respect. Quite often people whose affiliations would normally make them adversaries experience healing together.
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Explore AVP California here
"The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members." — Mahatma Gandhi
Made New Foundation
We empower people re-entering society and youth in at-risk communities to successfully navigate life's challenges. We accomplish this with captivating virtual reality tools, creative arts and holistic support.
Board Chair
From Lived Experience to Leadership
When people begin to see themselves not as products of their environment, but as leaders who can transform it—communities change. The Made New Foundation was founded by three men who left prison with an unwavering determination to give back to the communities they once harmed. I met one of the founders through my AVP work, leading me to serve on the foundation’s Board of Directors.
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"Reimagining Reality" - Made New's Youth Programs in Communities and Schools
When learning is fostered by people with lived experience, young folks pay attention -- especially when they are given innovative tools to shape the learning content themselves.
Advanced Technology: Using Virtual Reality (VR) simulations we help youth (and incarcerated adults) practice pro-social decision-making before facing real-life triggers.
Prison Programs
Made New Foundation bridges the gap between incarceration and successful re-entry for people who are confronting a vastly changed world upon their release. Supportive wrap-around services greatly reduce recidivism, foster self-sufficiency, leadership and ultimately result in safer communities.
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Essential Stability: Providing rides home upon release, transitional housing, connection to substance abuse counseling, financial literacy and other educational courses and career pathways means people receive a hand up, not a hand out.
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Holistic Support: Assisting returning citizens with a welcome back to society, Made New provides guidance and tools to help them navigate the world of technology that is now essential to daily life supports. It fosters successful re-integration with families, community and helps build self-esteem.
Explore the Made New Foundation
