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A Lesson in Compassion from a Guy Who Just Got Out of Prison
Oftentimes the people who have the least help others the most.
2014 was another milestone year for me. I’d been out of prison 16 years and I just started my first technical writing contract at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) — the same system that incarcerated me.
The best part of 2014 was that I made one of the most impactful, transformative decisions of my life: I decided to start doing volunteer work to help currently and formerly incarcerated individuals.
My first volunteer event was a speaking engagement at the CDCR’s Oakland parole office, which is located in the San Francisco bay area.
An Amazing Act of Compassion
“Do not judge by appearances. A rich heart may be under a poor coat.” — Scottish Proverb
While I was waiting for a bus to take me to the Oakland parole office, I saw 2 men who were also going to the parole office. I could tell by the conversation they were having that both of them were recently released from prison.
One of the men said he didn’t have any money. Then I witnessed something incredibly compassionate.
