JDI Launches Annual Words of Hope Holiday Card Campaign
- December 1, 2014
In its fifth year, JDI’s Words of Hope provides life-changing support to people who have endured rape while in the government’s custody.
Los Angeles, December 1, 2014 – Today, JDI kicks off its Words of Hope campaign to deliver holiday cards to men and women who have survived rape in prison. Through the campaign, JDI offers people the opportunity to transform an incarcerated survivor’s life simply by writing a few kind words.
JDI’s Words of Hope has brought comfort to thousands of survivors nationwide since it was first launched, in 2010. Juvencia, a prisoner in Colorado who was sexually abused by staff, told JDI in a letter last year that the holiday messages have been essential to her healing. She wrote, “Just knowing that there are so many people who care about how inmates are being treated makes all the difference.”
This year, JDI aims to generate an even greater number of messages for survivors, who often feel particularly isolated over the holidays. “Thanks to this campaign, the holidays are a special time of year, even for survivors behind bars,” said Lovisa Stannow, JDI’s Executive Director. “Words of Hope is proof that when people show a little bit compassion, it can make a world of difference.”
Some of the campaign’s most enthusiastic participants are survivors who themselves received holiday cards. One such survivor is Ivory, a former prisoner in Texas who was sexually abused by a staff member and faced retaliation for reporting the assaults. “When I was in prison, JDI’s Words of Hope gave me strength,” Ivory said. “Now that I’m out, I’m writing my own cards to other survivors. I want to encourage them to be strong, too.”
Anyone can join survivors like Ivory by submitting messages on JDI’s mobile-friendly website. JDI is also urging people to send messages on Twitter, using the hashtag #WordsofHope14. JDI will ensure that survivors across the country receive the greetings in time for the holidays.
“It speaks volumes about the campaign’s power that one short note, even from a stranger, can change a person’s life,” said Stannow. “It takes just a minute to send some hope and compassion to a survivor — to let them know that they matter. Put simply, there’s no easier way to give back this holiday season.”