Dear Supporters:

Center for Women in Transition restores lives. With the support of donors and volunteers, the Center aided 263 women transitioning from incarceration back to the St. Louis area through our mentoring and transitional housing programs last year. Each year, more community members learn about the restorative work that we are doing in St. Louis and join us in our mission to create stronger families and safer neighborhoods.

The Center achieves great success in reducing instances of recidivism in its clients. The recidivism rate for the Center’s clients last year was a phenomenal 7 percent compared to a statewide average of 43 percent. The impact on the community is undeniable—lower recidivism means reduced homelessness, lower crime rates and safer communities for all of us. In addition, the Center is creating lasting change by helping to create stable families. Did you know that the child of an offender is six times more likely to become an offender themselves than the child of a non-offender? At the Center, we believe that cycle can end with our clients.

I’d like to ask you to consider supporting the Center by making a gift to our Annual Fund. In 2010-2011, we need to raise $55,000 in annual fund donations to continue to help women transition back into their families and communities. Your contributions, large and small, directly benefit a woman working to make positive choices, attain meaningful goals and be accountable for past actions. Every dollar that you send helps the Center to assure that its clients have safe housing, find meaningful employment, work towards sobriety and lead stable, crime-free lives.

One of our current clients, Jennifer, summed up her experience with these poignant words: “Without the Center, there is no way that I could have made a positive re-entry,” Jennifer said. “Yeah, I could have left prison and lived with friends. But with no resources, no car, no job, I wouldn’t have had the structure to succeed. That is how you get sent back. The Center provides a safety net where I know that I always have support around me. That has truly allowed me to succeed.”

Your financial contribution allows the Center to create this safety net for our clients. Thanks in advance for your support of our mission.

Gratefully,

Nancy Kelley
Executive Director