Previous Presenters
- Helping the Incarcerated
- Speaker: Sonja Allen
The mission of Friends of Guest House is to provide formerly incarcerated women with the structure, supervision, support, and assistance they need to move beyond who they were to become who they want to be. Since our founding in 1974, Guest House has helped more than 4,000 women break the vicious cycle of incarceration, reunite with their families, and reintegrate into their communities. Friends of Guest House believes in women, families, and second chances—envisioning a world where your past does not define your future. Guest House programs are designed specifically for female reentry, providing individualized services for their unique circumstances and vulnerabilities to help them successfully transition back into the community from incarceration. Undergirding our efforts is a focus on the root causes of incarceration and recidivism through our Five Pillars of Livability framework, which takes a comprehensive approach to address the key areas that influence the path to successful reentry (housing, employment, education, healthcare, and family/community reconnection). We accomplish our mission through our core programs: Residential, Aftercare, and Outreach.