Latest news with #Soderberg
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
A group of parishioners from a Lake Forest church uses the art of letter writing in prison pen pal ministry
At the Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest, a prison pen pal ministry, comprised of a group of about 40 parishioners, corresponds with men and women incarcerated in Illinois prisons. Jill Soderberg has led the group since 2018, and says while all that's required of ministry participants is an interest in pursuing correspondence and perhaps a knack for the art of letter writing, what begins as a simple letter may help those incarcerated survive the present, and inadvertently increase their opportunities for the future. With a 10-plus-year history at the church, ministry members have written to over 100 prison pen pals in prisons like Dixon, Pinckneyville, Danville, Western Illinois in Mt. Sterling, Illinois River in Canton, Stateville, and others. 'The rewards of involvement have been abundant on both sides, and for some inmates, their pen pal is their only contact with the outside world,' Soderberg said. While not an advocacy group, according to Soderberg, their mission is simply to provide Christian friendship through writing letters. 'It's difficult to participate in the prison pen pal ministry and not develop an interest in our criminal justice system – so we do address criminal justice issues during our quarterly meetings,' Soderberg said. For security purposes, ministry members use pseudonyms, usually their first name and a fictitious last name, and all mail comes to the church address at 400 East Westminster in Lake Forest. According to Soderberg, it is not unusual for the correspondence to continue even after a pen pal has been released from prison. As exemplified in the experience of ministry member Lynne Atherton of Waukegan, who wrote a letter of advocacy in support of her multi-year pen pal, Russell Mims, when he was being considered for early parole in 2017. 'On the day of his release from Stateville Correctional Center, I was accompanied by two other ministry members, and we went to pick him up, we were the ones to greet him,' Atherton said. 'Often, what starts as a correspondence can lead to long-term friendship and assistance with reentry into civilian life with support from organizations like the Chicago-based St. Leonard's House of St. Leonard's Ministries, and others, that provide interim housing and support for the formerly incarcerated,' Atherton added. Another long-time pen pal ministry member, David Waud of Lake Forest, found the inspiration to underwrite Ragdale fellowships for formerly incarcerated artists, an annual fellowship which began in 2022. Ragdale is an artist residency program also located in Lake Forest, which provides time and space for artists to develop new works. Ragdale is one of the largest residency programs in the United States, awarding over 150 residencies annually. Situated on the grounds of the former summer home of noted Chicago architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, with access to 50 acres of protected prairie land, artists share this environment while exploring their artistic work. 'The Waud Fellowship for formerly incarcerated artists has been incredibly meaningful to Ragdale, and knowing the impact it has on artists who are selected is incredibly powerful,' Ragdale executive director Paul Sacaridiz said. Recent Waud fellowship recipient Joe Earvin Martinez is an interdisciplinary performance artist who said he was in and out of jail and rehab in Los Angeles from 2019 to 2021. Martinez describes his art practice as focused on the experiences of queer and trans artists of color who have been incarcerated and survived mental illness and addiction. 'While at Ragdale, I am creating a performance piece that tells a story of incarceration, addiction, and recovery, one that explores ethnographic ideas about how we often perform the culture we are living in,' Martinez said. Martinez says creativity can be a life source, and his work is a celebration of how creativity lives in a variety of places. 'It's so encouraging to have someone take stock in your work, to be given respect and acceptance and time away in this beautiful place — when part of what you are creating is who you want to be in this world,' Martinez said.
Edinburgh Reporter
19-06-2025
- Health
- Edinburgh Reporter
Celebrate community at LifeCare's FREE summer BBQ on Friday
Everyone is invited to LifeCare's free Summer BBQ on Friday 20 June, from 12 noon to 4pm at the LifeCare Hub, 2 Cheyne Street, Stockbridge. Come along for a fantastic afternoon of free food, a bouncy castle, delicious cakes (with thanks to Soderberg!) and a wide range of fun activities for all ages. This special event is part of the Love the LifeCare Hub campaign, celebrating half a century of the LifeCare Hub supporting local people – from young children to older adults – through affordable, accessible community services. The hub welcomes over 47,000 visits each year and runs more than 80 weekly classes and activities. 'It's a place where people connect, share, and thrive.' As LifeCare faces rising running costs, donations are being welcomed to help safeguard this much-loved community space. Every pound helps ensure LifeCare can continue to offer vital support and joyful connections for generations to come. So bring your friends, family, and neighbours for an afternoon of summer celebration – and help support one of Edinburgh's cherished community hubs. Like this: Like Related
West Australian
25-05-2025
- West Australian
The Blackout Room: Perth opens doors to city's first women's only nightclub to create ‘safe space'
Perth's first women's only nightclub has opened in a bid to create a safe space for women to let their hair down without fearing unwanted attention from men. Shereice Soderberg and Adelle Cousins launched The Blackout Room last August after seeing a gap in the market for a safe, women's-only party venue. 'I've been out (and had experiences) where men wolf-whistle and shout at you, or you go to a club and a guy will just come and grab your bottom from behind,' Ms Soderberg said. 'There's a lot of fights at nightclubs with guys with egos, which takes away from the whole experience, but there's none of that at The Blackout Room.' The West Australian recently revealed Perth women were arming themselves with tasers, pocket knives and aerosol deodorant to protect themselves against violent attackers. More than 100 women told of how they were carrying sharp hairpins, heavy water bottles and pepper spray just to feel safe outside their home. Ms Soderberg described The Blackout Room as a safe space. 'It's just about having a safe space knowing you're only around women ... and just knowing that makes you feel a lot safer,' she said. Ms Cousins said she feared Perth's nightlife scene was 'getting worse'. 'We just want to go out and dance and not have any pressure or judgement ... and any groping from men,' the 42-year-old said. 'I haven't been out to a nightclub properly for years, but I can imagine it's getting worse.' Clare Connor was 22 when she was sexually assaulted by Michael Pena Chavez, who had posed as a rideshare driver after a night out in Northbridge in 2022. Ms Connor has waived her right to anonymity. Once in the car, Chavez told Ms Connor — who was sitting in the front passenger seat — he was not her Uber driver but would drive her home for free, before sexually assaulted her twice, ignoring her pleas to stop. He was last month jailed for five and a half years, with District Court Judge Charlotte Wallace describing his actions as an 'egregious breach of trust'. More than three years after the assault, Ms Connor said she was still 'petrified'. 'I remember going out into the city for the first time after it happened . . . I was just really cautious of everything that was going on,' she said. 'If I couldn't see one of my friends I would just freak out. I had to be with someone or a group of people just to feel safe.' Described as the 'ultimate girls night out', The Blackout Room holds ticketed events up to four times a year at The Aberdeen Hotel for women of all ages. 'We just felt like there was nowhere in Perth where women can just go and have a dance and let their hair down,' Ms Soderberg said. 'I've had lots of school mums come up to me at my kid's school saying, 'thank you so much, I just needed a night out to remember I'm not just a mum or a wife.''
