About
What We Do
OK Messages Project implements a highly effective prevention and literacy initiative that positively impacts children's lives while alleviating the adverse effects of parental incarceration. Through the simple act of a shared reading video recordings, parents in prison can read books to their children and share messages of love and hope. This helps foster and strengthen the parent-child bond, enhances literacy, and helps to improve the child's social-emotional and educational outcomes.
for the 135,300 children who have experienced parental incarceration, research shows:
%
15% of all Oklahoma children have a parent in prison during their growing up years
%
the odds of these children developing a serious psychiatric disorder increases by 250%
How We Do It
Our Process
First, we train volunteers to visit correctional facilities and guide incarcerated parents as they record themselves reading books and sharing encouraging messages with their children.
Next, with the help of our volunteers, we film the incarcerated parents while they are reading books to their children and sharing positive messages like “I love you, and I’m proud of you...”
Finally, we mail out the books and a digital link of the parents reading the stories to around 1,000 children two to four times a year.
Who We Are
Our Leadership
Cheri Fuller
Founder
Holmes Fuller
Co-Founder
Alison Plum
Co-Founder
Denise Daniels
Executive Director
Enrique Padilla
Deputy Director
Wonderful Volunteers
Board of Trustees
Corey White
Board Chair
Security Analyst
Future Point of View
Kristin Emerson, CPA
Board Treasurer
First Presbyterian Church of Edmond Financial Director
Lacey McCause, Circle of Care
Director of Fathers Empowered
Joleen Chaney
Board Member
Former KFOR Anchor
Dr. Chelsea Hunsucker, PhD
Oklahoma State University professor
Stacey A. Wiebelt, Attorney
Wiebelt & Associates, PLLC
Did You Know?
Quick Facts
For many children, the incarceration of a parent can feel similar to the loss of a loved one and often carries significant emotional consequences. Over 135,000 children in Oklahoma experience this trauma during their childhood years.
Trauma from having a mother or father imprisoned has negative lifelong effects: school and educational problems, economic hardships, and mental health issues including depression and anxiety. These difficulties can last for decades.
No matter what the parents did, to the children they are still mom and dad, and the kids long for connection.
For the majority of children in Oklahoma, in-person visits aren't possible. So the "Messages from Mom" and "Messages from Dad" video visits and books provided by the OK Messages Project fill a huge gap in the lives of children.
Maintaining the parental bond through the powerful and bonding experience of reading aloud together decreases kids' anxiety and depression, improves their reading and school outcomes, and is the most effective strategy to ensure that children of incarcerated parents will thrive, stay in school and out of prison.
Your Continuing Support helps Make OK Messages Possible
Thank You to Our Generous Individual, Corporate, Foundation,
& Anonymous Donors!
