Project Kinship

Shout out to everyone that joined us for our first-ever live stream last night. Thank you for letting us being so vulnerable. Welcome to Kinship... where judgment and pain are left at the door. You are HOME If you missed the live stream, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch

Today is the day we get to share 100 Years of Hope with you! We are so excited for you to hear stories from 4 incredible guest speakers. Please join us via one of the following platforms: Youtube Live: https://www.youtube.com/watch Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/ProjectKinship https://www.100yearsofhope.com/

We are less than 2 days away from 100 Years of Hope, where we will be hearing from panelist and their experience of incarceration and returning to the community. Please join us as we look forward to listening to the living testimonies of transformation in our community! Register at 100yearsofhope.com . You definitely won’t want to miss this.

Thank you to our generous donor ProPortion Meals! They donated groceries that will go directly to home visits and program snacks. We would not be here without the support of our giving community

A special message from our Executive Director

Check out this week’s podcast Trauma Informed L.A. features our very own Steve and Mary! This week's podcast episode, Healing Through Re-entry Activism, features Steve Kim and Mary Vu Iammarino the co-founders of Project Kinship whose mission is to provide support and training to lives impacted by incarceration, gangs, and violence through hope, healing, and transformation. Steve’s combination of lived and professional experience allows him to serve individuals impacted by... gangs and incarceration. Mary’s continuous dedication advocating for individuals with a history of domestic violence, child abuse, trauma, and addiction helps work towards overall equity and sustainability of communities. Together, Steve and Mary have created a remarkable organization in Orange County. In this episode, listen to the development of Project Kinship and learn what drives these incredible individuals to continue the work they do. Steve and Mary share the background of CA propositions and highlight their potential repercussions. https://traumainformedla.org//our-episodes//episode-eight/

Never too late for graduation pictures :) Congratulations David you never gave up! We are so proud of you!

Congratulations to the first Trauma & Recovery Certificate Program’s graduating cohort! A big thank you to Cal State Fullerton’s Project Rebound for your partnership! Big shout out to Jesse for the graduating art piece ... Let us continue to heal and serve the community together. In this service we meet each other in sacred kinship that breathes life into hope!

We would like to congratulate one of our graduates from Saddleback HS for receiving the C.J. Segerstrom and Sons Scholarship. We are so proud of you! Andrew teamed up with Project Kinship to assist with mentoring 9th graders who were struggling academically and in regards to discipline. He used to be in the same place that these 9th graders were and his leadership skills provided a sense of guidance and support to these youth. He has persevered and overcome through vario...us challenges that he faces on a day to day basis. Andrew is living proof that there is hope, no kid is too far gone or completely lost. He has taken steps to not only better himself but better his future as evidence by reaching out to support systems and focusing on doing everything necessary to be successful. #restorativepractices #SAUSD #saddlebackhs #projectkinship #pkgraduate

We are extremely proud of our 111 Project Kinship Graduates of 2020, they did it! We hope you continue to be bold, courageous and spread hope in your communities, the future is unlimited! #restorativepractices #hopeliveshere #breakingbarriers #pkgradutes2020 #SAUSD #GGUSD #BOUSD

Trauma Informed Care & Mindfulness Week 5 of the Trauma and Recovery Certificate Program. "Let us look through the lens of healing and not the wound." ... "We are connected...our healing is connected to each other."

Congratulations to the over 100 students in the Restorative Practice Program who graduated this year! We are humbled and grateful to have walked with you. Thank you for teaching and showing us the future it bright and that hope always lives! We are so proud of you! PK RPI Staff

A message from Steve Kim, Executive Director Project Kinship 8 minutes and 46 seconds will be forever chiseled into history. This is the time it took for police officers in Minneapolis to take the life of George Floyd. These 8 minutes and 46 seconds prove the sad truth: that in 2020 we are still plagued with inequity, structural racism, institutional failures, and sadly, that some lives matter less than others. We have seen the result of this tragedy sweep our nation; nation...s across the world are echoing the voices of pain and demands for justice, equity and inclusion. These are not new requests, but rather an ongoing struggle to be seen and heard by communities of color -- specifically our black brothers and sisters. We know that collectively we can do better and without question, we must. Growing up as a chubby Korean kid with a bowl hair cut I just wanted to belong. I can still remember in the early 80’s the words go home that were spray painted on our garage and the multiple times I was jumped for being different and to remind me to stay in my place. We know that in that place silence thrives and pain lives. Similar experiences and beyond are etched into the life narratives of the many youth and adults we serve on a daily basis along with our staff and colleagues. It is all of our responsibility to move together towards creating a world where hope lives and the cycle of despair ends. Project Kinship was created to become a home to marginalized and abandoned lives in Orange County. We wanted to remind people that they are more than the worst mistake of their past and of their worth. Without exception, when people are reminded of this truth and treated with dignity, shame becomes dismantled and a courageous hope begins to lead. In the midst of this pandemic and the uplifted voices of Black Lives Matter let us together stand up to racial injustice and work for change. Let us dismantle the barriers that divide us and work together, grounded in love and lead by hope. Our Co-Founder Mary Iammarino, myself and all of us at Project Kinship are grateful to have the privilege to work with many friends in Orange County from all areas of service. We are committed to building a strong, healthy and inclusive community now and for our next generation. Let us continue to see each other through the lens of our childhood selves and feel each other through the heartbeat of a loving God that longs for us to be in kinship. Let us be encouraged to pour into creating and expanding a new place that brings in those who are on the margins striving to belong, seen and heard. Warmest Regards, Steve Kim, Executive Director Project Kinship

The pain of the communities voice leads us to the wound. Let us listen with compassion so we can be guided to the sacred place of healing and strength. We hear you! We see you! We are with you!... We stand in solidarity to abolish systemic racism and inch our way closer to creating a world where the cycle of despair ends and hope lives!

May 30, 2020 In its second year, #TimeDone Day will bring together thousands of people across the nation for a virtual event. The event will unite #TimeDone members, people living with past convictions and their families, and supporters, in community to announce and advance efforts that help people access jobs, housing and other necessities for safety, stability and success. With themes of hope, forward direction and connectivity, it will highlight how federal and state policies must ensure people living with past convictions are part of the plan to protect communities from COVID and advance the economic recovery. Learn more and register below: https://safeandjust.zoom.us//reg/WN_ZccDiOJtRWeAhTzrCeo7ew

Check out the new podcast from our friends at @Trauma Informed L.A., Our Stories Matter, celebrating the complex lived experiences of activists and healers by sharing their inspiring stories. Our Stories Matter centers on healing through activism, art, poetry, film, music, breath, movement, and more! Listen and subscribe at https://traumainformedla.org/our-stories-matter-podcast

Grateful for @Proportionmeals who donated 100 meals to our Families in need, thank you for spreading hope! #projectkinship #proportionmeals #hopeliveshere Donate here: https://charitableventuresoc.kindful.com/?campaign=345639

Our very own RP Sandra at Garden Grove High School, helping out in handing out Cap & Gowns for Seniors! #projectkinship #restorativepractices #pkgraduates2020 #hopeliveshere Donate here: https://charitableventuresoc.kindful.com/?campaign=345639

We are excited to announce the virtual 2020 Trauma & Recovery Certificate Program! Faculty and experts from schools of social work, community-based interventionists, mental health experts, non-profit leaders will share to educate, engage and encourage individuals working with marginalized populations. ... This program will focus on a cohort of community members and service providers to better understand trauma and healing with an emphasis on school-based interventions, re-entry and service to the community. Space is limited. For an application please e-mail: [email protected] Looking forward to gathering together!