About Us
Empathy in Action: Bridge to Redemption: This program is at the center of our Center. It is an empathy-based program that encourages emotional understanding, forgiveness, and personal growth. Our Program motto is “Engaging literature, and our own stories, to build bridges of empathy, insight, and healing between the incarcerated and the public.”; another core belief is gentleness comes only from the strong.
With the program model of Action, Reflection and Transformation (ART), we offer the unique opportunity for college students, faculty, and select public to engage in deep dialogue and deep listening with incarcerated populations, following a Transformative Justice curriculum grounded in 8 socio-psychological competencies, forming an arc of transformation.. We pair these more academic themes with 8 related insight-oriented values. These values create the foundation for each weekly discussion topic and challenge all participants to put virtuous concepts into action over the course of each week between sessions.
empathy in action Arc of Transformation…
1. Introduction to Empathy In Action through literature and dialogue = LOVE
2. Transformative Justice and Stories as Engines for Empathy = EMPATHY
3. Conflict Transformation, Relationship Patterns, and Healing the Inner Child = FORGIVENESS
4. Personal Trauma and Resiliency = COURAGE
5. Societal Trauma, Racial Reconciliation, Social Class, and the School To Prison Pipeline = JUSTICE
6. Gender Equity and Inclusion = INSIGHT
7. Loss and Love, Dealing With Grief, Guilt, and Shame = TRUTH + HEALING
8. Creative Presentations + Certificate Ceremony = EMPOWERMENT + WORTH
Our approach combines emotional education,
breathing techniques,
and strategies for personal growth, empowering individuals to take charge of their futures.
We believe that past traumas should not define our futures and we're committed to paving the path towards redemption and societal reintegration.
empathy ambassadors
What is an Empathy Ambassador? An Empathy Ambassador is a volunteer who has completed 3 sessions (1 year of service) in our Empathy in Action program, and serves as a representative—an empathy warrior! Empathy Ambassadors help our team spread the word about the program in their own various circles, connect our nonprofit with funding resources if available, and actively work to embody the values and mission statement of the program. Our program and center is dependent on our volunteers and we believe it is essential that in order to build a strong and just community, all our voices are imminent and powerful. As a participant who has shown up for our incarcerated members, as well as one another, we trust your ability to advocate and grow our dream to spread empathy!
Juju Kowalewski Ward
Juju is our very first Empathy Ambassador! Juju has been a volunteer with Empathy In Action going into Soledad prison since April 2023.
She also volunteers with Santa Cruz Public Library to check out books to incarcerated men in Rountree Medium Security jail. She is a community participant and trained Victim/Offender Dialogue Facilitator with Neighborhood Justice, a diversion program for first time offenders through the Santa Cruz DA’s office. She is passionate about Restorative Justice.
Cyndi Fox
Cyndi Fox is a retired administrative assistant who worked for the Monterey Bay Aquarium for 25 years. She and her husband are both retired and make their home in Pacific Grove. Cyndi loves to embroider, do calligraphy, make paper collage greeting cards AND volunteer with Empathy In Action. She has a great sense of humor and loves to laugh!
Dee Drost
Dee Drost is a repeat participant of Empathy in Action. Today, she volunteers and shares her story in hopes to bring hope and joy to our community, both inside and out of prison walls. As a previously incarcerated individual herself, Empathy in Action touches her in a deep way: "I feel at home with the men (in the program). Trauma is not easy to walk through on the healing side. I enter the prison and hear real talk. A place I feel safe and know that these men understand pain. These men wear blue. Their hearts beat as everyone else's does. They feel as everyone else does. They are a son, brother, grandson, uncle, father, husband. They are as real as they can be in every moment as we set with Empathy in Action home groups. True Freedom is being real with ourselves; true empathy comes alive in everyone who experiences Empathy In Action"