WHAT WE DO

Designing for Women: House of Hope Creates a Beautiful, Welcoming Home

Students at the Academy of Art Institute University’s interior architecture and design program used their design skills to transform the apartment complex on Treasure Island into a peaceful haven that will house up to 12 previously incarcerated women. Learn more about this partnership

BeyondtheFogRadio.com Episode 7 Criminal Justice Reform w/ Sunny Schwartz

Treasure Island, the artificial island built in 1936 and attached to Yerba Buena Island, is located between San Francisco and Oakland, is only accessible by car or bus from the San Francisco Bay Bridge. The island is currently under new development, to become primarily luxury housing, however, the nonprofit “Five Keys” (a restorative justice program and charter school), is housing formerly incarcerated women on the island who served unusually cruel and unfair sentences for decades in prison. Through Five Keys Home Free these women are able to reenter society in a supported and gentle way. Sunny Schwartz, author, advocate, and changemaker speaks to us about this extraordinary program she founded over 30 years ago, and the island where it is possible.

Going the Extra Mile: Helping Home Free women explore their freedom

Local firms’ generosity has a profound impact

Alex Tourk has a mission to make life-changing connections that take people and communities where they need to go. Tourk, founder of Ground Floor Public Affairs, a San Francisco-based community outreach and government relations firm, became an unalloyed fan and supporter of Home Free. He secured a van donation that is giving the women wheels for jaunts around the San Francisco Bay Area and to hit the road to explore other places on their new freedom journey plus a home security system to keep our residents safe, and lots of other gifts to lift their spirits and afford necessities to make the housing units a home. Tourk and Ground Floor’s generosity speak volumes about the outpouring of kindness from local firms and business leaders including Chris Larsen, Executive Chairman, and Co-Founder, at Ripple, Enterprise, and Verizon who are going the extra mile to recognize the hard work and dedication of our Home Free team and help us forever change and lead the lives of these women forward.

“I’m so pleased we were able to bring you and the entire Home Free team value and hope through this gift that we hope keeps on giving,” said Alex. And we say, “Alex and his team make magic happen.” Thank you, Alex, Jeremy, Jannely, Zak, Hailey, Ajouah, Lindsay, and Nancy!

A Fresh Start: If CityBuild and Ken build it, they will comeBenefits include:

Months before the COVID-19 pandemic came crashing down, Ken Nim, CityBuild director at the San Francisco Office of Workforce Development, pulled together an all-hands-on-deck team to take action to convert and renovate the 1431 Halibut Court address on Treasure Island into a beautiful new six-plex that gives our residents a fresh start and safe haven for healing.

Under Ken’s leadership and dedication, the renovation team rolled up their sleeves and went to work. Mithun, the San Francisco architecture team began hosting landscape design meetings with the Academy of Art University design instructors, Katie Valcuchak, Jemy Massie, and Irving Gonzales of G7A architecture, and our Home Free team.

Ken became our leading angel for our “1,000 Angels” fundraising campaign, working closely with his colleague, Janet Gomes, to oversee and inspire all of the hard work. Ken and Janet oversaw the installation when Gelfand Architects secured $75,000 of flooring donations and when Hester & McGuire secured 12 trees from magnolias to palms to create what Rosie has dubbed our “Freedom Forest.” We are very grateful to Ken and the army of CityBuild students who made the demolition, painting and upgrades possible, and the many other partners he rallied to our cause and got our doors open.

Home Sweet Williams Sonoma® Home

A gigantic thanks to Kevin Haggerty and Ruth Kennedy at Williams Sonoma, who stepped up to our “home plate,” and generously opened their hearts and warehouse doors to furnish our six 2-bedroom apartments with kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and living room sets of their iconic, built-to-last furnishings. They donated just about everything we needed to create a cozy, comfortable, and welcoming home for our residents.

From upscale Williams Sonoma Home sofas, chairs, bed frames and bedding, to lamps, full-length mirrors, and fully-stocked kitchens including modern appliances, coffee makers, blenders, toasters, Cuisinart’s, dishware, silverware, dish sets, and the warm-and-fuzzies like towel sets, throw pillows, area rugs, bath mats and every wish on our dream list.

About Home Free

Home Free provides trauma-informed survivor empowerment programs to help the women navigate daily life in the 21st Century. Programs include financial and technology literacy, job, and computer training classes. It is also a haven for physical, emotional, and spiritual rebirth and healing. The women participate in yoga classes, receive nutritional guidance, and explore the world that is out their waiting for them: treks to Muir Woods, the beach and through the streets of San Francisco.

Raising awareness about Dyer and the other women’s’ stories has become crucial to Home Free’s mission to help support domestic violence services, educate the community about coercive control, push for the behavior to be criminalized nationally, and to provide transitional housing and support for the women still hoping to be released from prison.

“People ask what’s it like getting out of prison,” Dyer said. “It’s wonderful. That is what I say to myself every day. It’s wonderful.” Learn more: www.fivekeyshomefree.org

IN THE NEXT ISSUE: These are just a handful of the many people who helped us bring Home Free alive. Stay tuned for more features stories in our next newsletter.”