Laurie Bibo
Madison, WI
Advocate
Charity: Family Connection of WI
My wife is an amazing woman. In the second half of her life she has found her calling, her passion. It is helping children of incarcerated parents.
Laurie is the Executive Director of Family Connections of Wisconsin, Inc, a non-profit based in Madison. The group was first created to provide transportation monthly for children in Dane County to visit their mothers in Tycheedah Correctional Institue, the women's maximum security facility.
Too often children are the innocent victims and are forgotten when they did no wrong themselves. By keeping the family connection strong and continuous throughout the prison term children do better at home and in school. Their parents are less likely to return to prison.
But the FCW board got more than they planned on when they hired Laurie, then their sole employee. She brought them a bigger vision.
In the past year she expanded the program to a second prison with a third months away. She created a reading program for the mothers whose children are unable to visit. The mothers are recorded reading a book they selected especially for their child. Both are given to the child along with a personal note.
At a recent fundraiser Laurie presented her big dream, a facilty housing her group and others giving the families of the incarcerated a full circle of support.
FCW exists solely on donatins and grants, fundraising takes too much time away from work to be done. Yet still Laurie moves forward and continues to dreams. She is amazing.
