Their Story
Genevieve McCloy, Laura Rich, and Richa Parikh recently worked with this INCREDIBLE organization and were blown away by its transformative impact.
We believe Five Keys Home Free helps ease the barriers formerly incarcerated survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence face when reentering society. Many women at Home Free were put in prison with Life Without Parole for defending themselves against their abusers. Many spent 20, 30, and 40+ years in prison for grossly unjust reasons. And yet, despite the decades of life stolen from them, these women hold so much hope and joy for the world that turned its back on them. Sometimes, when these women were released they were put in transitional housing (halfway houses) that treated them like addicts although many of them had never drank or used substances in their lives. They were deprived of basic freedoms and were far from free.
That’s why Home Free holds so much hope; there’s no other transitional housing for survivors that prioritizes the qualities that all these women embody — unconditional love, hope, and gratitude. Meeting the Home Free women was like coming home. It’s hard to explain just how strong and spirited these women are. Their stories of resilience moved us so deeply we were called to showcase Home Free’s incredible work and to rally the Bay Area around the Home Free cause.
Often the news tells us all about the problems we face and it feels like there is no room or time for solutions. But Home Free is an example of a solution that can tackle some of the unfairness in the justice system through collective action and compassionate support. We want to expand Home Free’s reach, first to Los Angeles, where formerly incarcerated domestic violence survivors lack programs like Home free, and then to other states. We are committed to ensuring that Home Free’s mission of providing safe, supportive, and transformative housing continues to thrive and touch more lives. PLEASE join us by donating to this cause.
Home Free women, many who have endured things we can’t even fathom, spend their freedom giving back to the Bay and their communities.They are testaments to the most beautiful part of humanity and together, we can continue helping formerly incarcerated survivors by giving them the peaceful and loving re-entry they deserve. Join us to create real and lasting change in California. Join us to transform challenges into opportunities for hope and healing. Join us to bring more women Home Free.
More about us three: Richa is immersed in legal research on sexual harms in the law, Laura has seen the systemic flaws in the criminal justice system through her work at the California Innocence Project, and Genevieve, a native San Franciscan, is well versed in the sexual assault to prison pipeline through legal work and volunteering with Home Free.