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Personal Testimony
Testimonials • 10/29/21
Life After Incarceration
Inspired by “Life after incarceration #shorts” — Tzu Chi USA 360
On a winter day in February, while red banners and quiet blessings marked the Lunar New Year at the Tzu Chi Seattle office, something deeply meaningful unfolded.
It was not loud or dramatic. It was a simple moment of truth. The Hunger Relief team paused the ceremony to speak about the people they serve — especially those returning home after incarceration.
They spoke about what happens when someone comes home and the world does not slow down for them. Hunger, uncertainty, and isolation can be waiting at the door. In those first fragile days, something as ordinary as food can become the difference between steady ground and slipping back into survival mode.
“A meal can carry more than nourishment. It can carry a message: You are seen. You belong here. You are not doing this alone.”
Over time, that message restores dignity. It opens space for healing, stability, and a rebuilt life.
The timing mattered. The Lunar New Year speaks of renewal — releasing the old and stepping into what is possible. In that setting, the team’s words became more than a description of a program. They became a declaration of belief.
New beginnings are real. Past mistakes do not cancel future hope. And when a community chooses compassion over judgment, the direction of a life can begin to change.
St. Vincent de Paul & Candice
Testimonials, Sermons • 10/29/21
St. Vincent de Paul & Candice
A powerful presentation on re-entry, dignity, faith, and faithful presence.
This presentation brings together personal testimony, Catholic social teaching, and practical guidance to frame re-entry work as a ministry of relationship, dignity, and faithful presence.
Candice shares her journey from incarceration, trauma, and hardship into faith, community, and service. Her story shows that transformation does not happen through resources alone, but through people who are willing to walk with others beyond their mistakes.
“Re-entry is not about fixing people. It is about listening, showing up, honoring dignity, and helping one step at a time.”
Drawing from Scripture, Vincentian spirituality, and lived experience, the presentation reminds believers that the Gospel calls them to the margins — to prisons, shelters, homes, and places of need — where Christ is encountered through real relationships.
The message also connects Vincentian principles to practical re-entry work. Love must be paired with wisdom through healthy boundaries that protect safety, trust, and sustainability. Candice offers guidance on ethical service, confidentiality, non-financial relationships, safe engagement, respectful language, and appropriate referrals to community resources.
She also highlights the different needs of individuals leaving jail versus prison, explaining how trauma, institutionalization, and crisis can affect memory, decision-making, trust, and stability after release.
At its heart, this presentation is an invitation to serve with humility. Volunteers are encouraged to reject saviorism, build trust through consistency, recognize shared humanity, and understand that transformation often flows both ways.
The message closes by connecting re-entry ministry with prison ministry and with a prayerful call to serve with wisdom, love extravagantly, and carry light into every encounter.