On this International Women's Day Special, KBOO's Anna Wilcox speaks with mothers from The Family Preservation Project about their organization and the Day of Empathy.
FPP strengthens families and communities by assisting incarcerated women as they become rooted in their identities as mothers, promoting the rights of children of incarcerated parents, and providing trauma-informed services designed specifically for each parent’s unique needs.
Segment edited by KBOO volunteer, Eric.
A Message from Sophia Frias
Sophia Frias is the daughter of FPP Mom Vanessa Sherrod. She recorded a message for KBOO for International Women's Day. Listen to the message below.
Hey, ladies! Today is International Women's Day. My name is Sophia Frias, and I'm 16 years old. I am a founding member of the Family Preservation Project's Youth Advisory Council. I was the age of seven when I first joined the Family Preservation Project. Today, I'm a junior at South Salem High School and a gymnast coach at the Salem Gymnastics Center.
Something that I think is important that people should know is tomorrow, March 9th, is The Day of Empathy, and many more members of the Advisory Council will be there, sharing the vision and work that we have around the Children's Rights of Incarcerated Parents, which is a law we passed in Oregon in 2017. My vision and hope for this work is I want to help other kids going through a tough time and be the person I needed when I was going through my mom's incarceration.
A message I want to tell kids and anyone who cares for kids and that are going through their parents incarceration, is that it's not your fault. It's not your fault you didn't get to attend your game. You should never have to feel the need to lie for your mother's mistakes or feel judged. One important woman in my life is my mother, who is strong and hardworking and the best mom ever.
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