Anita was invited to be a moderator at the annual Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Conference!
The panel included professor and victim rights advocate Jesse Doiron, who shared his experiences having witnessed multiple beheadings, as well as his experience as a survivor of a violent act.
The panel also included Cheryl Miller, author of ”Enough Silence: Creating Sacred Space for Survivors of Sexual Assault through Restorative Justice.” Miller has facilitated numerous cases through what Texas calls VOMD (Victim Offender Mediation and Dialogue) and shared how her own experiences as a survivor have shaped her vision for restorative justice in the world. Miller participated in our apprenticeship and will also be training Restorative Houston members in trauma informed restorative practices.
We kept a circle with middle schoolers at ACT Academy!
Thank you to current community building apprenticeship, cohort member Kristin Walker for inviting us to keep a circle with middle schoolers at ACT Academy. Kristin embodies what it means to be a restorative practitioner and human. She combines a sensory experience as well as innovation to provide the best supports she can for our most vulnerable students. We are proud to see her spread Restorative practices in Houston! You can watch a clip of the circle on Instagram HERE or Tiktok HERE
We were invited to attend an exclusive non-profit capacity building workshop by Methodist Hospital
Thank you to Methodist Hospital for inviting us to a capacity building workshop for startup nonprofits at the United Way of Greater Houston. We learned about budgets, funders, and boards from Jill Campbell, Kentara John, Ronnie Hagerty and many more. We took away so much knowledge to strengthen how we communicate our mission and vision & what it takes to grow & thrive as a nonprofit.
We partnered with Lualo Studios to keep a Circle at Rice University!
Thank you to our Apprenticed Circle Keeper Rea Sampilo for inviting Restorative Houston to co-keep a circle about social movements at a conference at Rice University about Asian American diaspora studies. We paired up and played mirror to mirror, embodying the words “restriction” and “freedom” after a panel about anti DEI work and censorship on American campuses. This is what it’s all about! Watch a clip of it on Instagram or Tiktok
We had an extra special Motherhood/Caregiving Circle!
Our first motherhood/caregiving circle at the new location that our wonderful community partner CoolxDad has generously offered us was a special one. The conversations were deep and there was much healing and support. You can watch a clip of our Motherhood/Caregiving Circle founder, Rayla Willis, describing why she started the circles and how it has impacted her here on Instagram or on TikTok
WE HAVE A SPECIAL REQUEST:
We are seeking support to send our part-time Programming & Marketing Manager, Perla Moreno—who already wears many hats and consistently goes above and beyond her role—to the biennial NACRJ Conference. Our Executive Director, Dr. Anita will be presenting on “Liberation in Motion: Moving Together through the Spiral of Youth Engagement in Restorative Justice.” This gathering brings together practitioners, systems-impacted individuals, and community organizers committed to advancing restorative justice, offering a powerful space for learning, connection, and collective transformation.
As a woman of color and a systems impacted person herself, Perla is deeply aligned with our mission and is not only a key contributor to our current work, but someone we are intentionally investing in and developing as a long-term leader within Restorative Houston. We see her growing into expanded responsibility and leadership in the years ahead, and opportunities like this are critical to her development and to the sustainability of our organization.
At this time, however, the cost of registration and lodging for this week-long conference is beyond our current budget. We are seeking a special donation to make her attendance possible—an investment not only in her growth, but in the future of our work and the communities we serve.
We are asking for $1,500 which includes lodging, travel costs and conference fees to make this happen. The conference is in New Orleans from July 7th-10th. ANY amount is highly appreciated! The deadline for donations is May 2nd. CLICK HERE TO DONATE!
