I’ve been associated with hiring ex-offenders for more than 25 years: I hired more than 400 into the gaming companies I worked for, and since then have served on the board of Hope for Prisoners (H4P). Success in both was centered around a focused and long-term mentoring program to help people as they worked to reclaim their lives, families and standing in the community. Change is never easy, especially when the odds are seemingly stacked against you: that’s where mentoring can be especially helpful. Having someone to rely on, talk to, and learn from helps remove fear and uncertainty and is the ingredient that makes successful reentry possible. It provides hope that’s born in the participation of H4P’s many volunteer mentors and supports this most hopeful of solutions. My mentoring program lasted 12 months; H4P’s for 18: that’s what it takes to make hope a reality. Mentoring is a powerful tool, whether for reentry or any other kind of transition: provide it whenever change is the goal. If there’s a reentry program near you, please consider becoming a mentor today.
Marianne Williamson (b. 1952): American spiritual teacher, author, lecturer, entrepreneur and activist
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