Listening to a fellow Toastmaster share speeches at our Toastmasters meetings, I learned about an organization that I thought sounded interesting but had no interest in learning more about beyond listening and evaluating the speeches. One day I received a request from my fellow Toastmaster asking if we could meet. I did not know that day would be my transitional step into the world of FailSafe-ERA and the families they are serving.
Mrs. Juanita Shanks, our Founder and CEO, shared her mission of FailSafe-ERA and the citizens her organization was serving. I wanted to close my ears and eyes to the needs of the community she was changing, but over time, my heart softened and I was deep into the riches of what genuine change could be when someone wanted it more than anything they had experienced.
My first real interaction with FailSafe-ERA beyond facilitating and coaching with the Board was when I was serving as Area Director with Toastmasters, the organization responsible for my introduction to Juanita. As Area Director, I was invited to be an honorary guest with the graduation of the returning citizens who had completed the Speechcraft program, a program that offers a sample of what being a Toastmaster entails. It was there I heard the stories of how easy it was to fall into a place where legal can easily become criminal. The stories that were shared made an incredible impact on my alignment with FailSafe, so much so that I agreed to become more involved and invested my time and energy into learning more about the outreach of FailSafe and how the programs are genuinely changing lives.
Visiting our Board, I learned about members who had their own stories and some had family members and friends who have been affected by incarceration. Others had never been exposed to incarceration, yet, they met people that were exactly like they were in one way or another and the only difference was, a choice, an action, or a story of how they stayed under the radar. My story was also entwined with their stories, but I stayed under the radar many times.
Aligning myself with FailSafe-ERA and our Board allowed me to see there is and can be intentional rehabilitation when formerly incarcerated neighbors are committed to making a difference in their communities. Some of my most memorable moments have been to congratulate a returning citizen on opening his business and gaining employment with the government. He overcame the challenges of being told no and was persistent until he heard yes. Watching our first scholarship earner, open his mental health practice.
A current board member opened his Barber School and recently started a Foundation to help other returning citizens gain a skill that will help them to be able to support themselves and their families. Most recently, I was able to congratulate a returning citizen for his successful graduation after attending our Small Business Bootcamp to help him become a business owner.
Some of our other milestones have included, our largest Fundraising event no longer has limitations on the number of guests we can invite. We have successfully helped families with programs for Preventing Generations of Incarceration, WIGS & FADES, and Juanita receiving an appointment to the Virginia Department of Corrections Oversight Committee.
Additionally, our team of volunteers has grown and is committed to helping families feel that they don’t have to bury their family secrets that incarceration has affected their family. Scholarships, grants, invitations, recognition partnerships, and monthly donors have all been some of the accomplishments that FailSafe has received since my first day of being invited into the one-room office of two desks. I did not realize that day that I would be involved with FailSafe-ERA 10 years later. Many miracles occur within the walls of FailSafe-ERA and there are many more that I could share because one does not outshine any other.
The Board of FailSafe-ERA has successfully propelled a non-profit organization to becoming a well-recognized household name that has no barriers or limitations to the community they are serving.
The time has come when it is time to release my reigns as Board Chair to our incoming Board Chair, Mr. John Newman, and I am delighted to make the introduction. John is committed to helping FailSafe-ERA reach new milestones with his level of expertise that will serve FailSafe-ERA for years to come.
Thank you for my opportunity to serve FailSafe-ERA for many years and it is a responsibility that I have not taken lightly. It has been a privilege to be able to serve at a leadership level at FailSafe and will continue to help families and individuals who have been impacted by incarceration.
Alayna Stiffler, Board Member