OUR WHY

DUSTIN JR

Dustin Jr is the reason we started this foundation. His daddy was incarcerated for the first 9 months of his life. At 9 months old, his daddy was released from prison. In 9 short months, he gained a great relationship with him. His daddy taught him to enjoy music, play ball, walk, etc. At 18 months old, his daddy went back to prison - this time with a life sentence. Fast forward, Dustin Jr is now almost 4 years old and longs for a relationship with his dad. Due to Covid, he went without seeing his daddy from March 2020 - February 2022. They stayed in contact via letters, JPay messages/videos and video visits during that time. During the past 2+ years, Dustin Jr has struggled emotionally/mentally grieving not having his daddy around. For Christmas 2020, Dustin Jr received a pillow with his Daddy's face on it. He has treasured that pillow every single day since. He takes it to school, on vacation, grocery shopping, to bed, etc. Everywhere his daddy would be if he wasn't incarcerated.

COURTNEY

Watching my babies struggle grieving the loss of their Daddy/Step-Daddy to incarceration has been so difficult. My older son has adapted through different prison terms, his biological father's deployments and just his maturity. Watching Junior ask those hard questions like -- Where is my Daddy? Why is he in prison? Does he love and miss me? Has been one of the most difficult. Listening to him cry himself to sleep wishing he could cuddle Daddy is heart shattering. That's where the idea of getting him a Daddy pillow came to play. I purchased this for him in December 2020 and since then he has taken it every where we go. From Vacation, to school, to friends houses and to bed every night. It has definitely helped him adapt to this new normal. If he had it his way, he'd even take it on prison visits.

First and Foremost, I'd like to praise my wife and the momma of my son for picking up the pieces of my son's heart after I broke my promise to him that I would never leave him...... I broke my very first and only promise to my son the day I went to jail and now I am serving a life sentence.

One of the most proactive ways my wife was able to begin to help heal some of my son's heartache was by creating something of physical substance an "In person comfort" instead of a "in person substitution". You see phone calls and visitation are only temporary and are restricted by tons limitations and the greatest one is not being able to be there for our children when our babies need us the most ...... our children can't call us or come see us when they want to. At those times that there is a monster under their bed or nap time at school or something new they can't wait to tell us like catching a fish for the first time they can have a in person comfort of us a feeling as though some how a part of us are still there with them. This idea brought to life a movement and thus created an organization came about by and for my son Dustin Allen Jr. You see he never was quite satisfied by toys or new shoes or even a new puppy because all those things were a "In person substitution" whether we say it was sent by us or not can never satisfy them like a presence of their daddy.

In regards to those Incarcerated Moms and Dads, We may be gone but through our children we will never be forgotten.

On Behalf of our Family to yours THANK YOU.

MALYNKI