Messages to home

Spending time with family is one of the reasons that so many look forward to the holidays –; but not everyone has that opportunity.

Some of the female ex-offenders in the Lakewood Intervention Community Correction Services (ICCS) have the opportunity to read to their children via DVDs thanks to the Community Educational Outreach (CEO) Read To Me Program.

“We started the program with women reading books to their children on a tape recorder and we’d send the tape along with the book,” said CEO director of operations Vanessa Montano. “We thought we’d go with DVDs because they’re more personal –; many of our clients don’t get to see their children very often.”

According to CEO executive director Dory Dannettell, CEO has worked with ICCS since 2003 and plays a key role in helping the residents with educational and employment needs. They work to bring the ex-offenders the kinds of classes needed to receive a GED and to find steady employment.

“We work to help create resumes, do mock-interviews and give them the skills they need to be successful when they’re done here,” Dannettell said. “The people who have made it through the program have found that it makes a huge difference.”

Greg Kildow, executive director of ICCS, said there is a lot of oversight for the women staying at the Lakewood location, and that its one of the few “halfway house” locations that was specifically designed for community corrections.

“Many of the clients are sentenced here directly from the courts or are working toward a parole situation,” he said. “Many of the people we work with have mental health issues and substance abuse issues they need to work through.”

In the Read To Me program, mothers were able to record themselves reading books to their children, which will be sent to them for the holidays.

“I really like this because I’m able to send this video to my son, since he likes reading,” said ICCS client Tiffany Howe. “I want him to know I’m still there and think about him. I really enjoy his interested in school and reading.”

For Christina Luna, the Read To Me program is an opportunity to reach out to her three children and show them she is still invested in how they are doing.

“My kids really love reading, and the love mom being involved,” she said. “Reading for the camera I was a little nervous at first but I ended up really liking it.”

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