Hope Blog

Speak Up For Hope receives many letters each month from people dealing with the pain felt when a loved one is imprisoned. Most of the letters are from family or close friends of the inmates and some are from the inmate themselves. They are letters of extreme emotion and heartache. Sometimes, we receive letters from…

Keep it simple. Decide what is important and what isn’t. Leave out the “what isn’t” without inflicting guilt on yourself. Don’t isolate yourself. You may not feel like celebrating, but isolating only drives you deeper into depression and sadness. Attend church, family gatherings, work parties, friend connections. You may not feel like it but surely…

Everyone, Hi, this is Gene Kent.  I thought I’d tell you what a visit day with Jason is like.  Often Carol and I try to get the last flight home from a speaking engagement on a Saturday night or the earliest one on Sunday morning so we can make it to Hardee Correctional on Sunday…

Welcome back to the Speak Up for Hope Blog.  I’m Bonnie Emmorey, one of Carol’s sisters and the director of Speak Up for Hope. Many of you have written to our ministry, and one of the common threads through your letters is your surprise at walking the lonely journey with your loved-one through incarceration.  This…

As an uncle to Jason, I try to do all those things that we would encourage other family members of inmates to do. I visit him as often as possible and I write letters every couple of weeks with pictures, sharing my every day life with him. I send books to him, and read those…

Thanks for stopping by the Speak Up for Hope Blog! My name is Jennie Afman Dimkoff, and I have the joy of serving on the board of this great organization that encourages so many people. I also happen to be Carol’s sister, which makes me part of the family. As you may imagine, when Carol…

It has been my privilege to visit my nephew, Jason Kent on many occasions.  I am Paula Afman, one of Carol’s sisters and one of Jason’s aunts.  I have often been amazed at how few visitors come to see the inmates.  I was told by one of the correction officers at the prison where he is…

Welcome to the Speak Up for Hope blog! Thank you for your interest in our organization. This blog will be updated weekly and we hope you will check back often for news of what is happening as we reach out to help meet the needs of inmates and their families. Many of you have asked…