We’re Still There for Them

Dear ,

“I’m still here for you…”

These were the words from one of our One Heart partners to a youth housed in a correctional facility after the onset of COVID-19.

Five small words with huge impact.

The reality is, even without a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic forcing closure of juvenile correctional facilities, justice involved youth face the perils of mental and emotional despair every day in lockup. When facilities are on lockdown, and they have no human contact from the outside world, they fall into an even deeper level of hopelessness.

But we are still there.

For the One Heart Project to fulfill our mission of providing this population of vulnerable youth with a true second chance, not having access is not an option.

While the Corona virus has created myriad barriers for so many, our team saw the situation as an immediate opportunity; an opportunity to push forward with an innovation that had already been in development—delivering our services through technology applications.

This week, in Douglas County, Kansas, we launched our first virtual program. Our stellar facilitator, Meg Zahner, delivered the social and emotional learning curriculum live via Zoom. It was a great success. Similar training and mentoring sessions are taking place through technology solutions in other locations, as well, including here in Texas. One corrections leader thanked our team last week, saying that no other group still has a presence in their facility, and without us there would be no one.

This is crucial, because these kids need to know that COVID-19 or not, someone cares.

This innovation has also put us in a position to build out a technology platform that will allow us to scale the initiative to other locations, and impact more youth, by reducing barriers to engagement, turning what has been seen only as a crisis into an opportunity.
The words above – I’m still here for you – came through another innovation… or more accurately through the tip of a pen.

The youth now have the opportunity to write back to produce an ongoing conversation and relationship by mail. Many of these “mail mentors” will never know in this life the true impact of their words on the youth reading their note as he or she sits in a cell… alone.

None of this could have happened without so many of you that have faithfully supported this mission. Thank you for making it possible for Meg to touch the hearts of the kids in Lawrence from 20 miles away. Thank you for sending our facilitators, mentors and staff into facilities from Gainesville to Corpus Christi, through technology, to shape lives and help plant vision for a future for youth in Texas.

Even in the midst of COVID-19, you are changing lives. Thank you.

With One Heart,