Women’s Storybook Project
Jill Gonzalez is the Executive Director of the Women's Storybook Project of Texas, which connects children with their incarcerated mothers through the joy of literature. She is a children's book nerd and absolutely loves to teach through children's books. She and her husband live in Pflugerville and they both enjoy reading and singing.
More than 80% of incarcerated women in Texas are mothers. Team members and volunteers meet with incarcerated women in prison and record them reading or singing a book for their children. It was started in Texas in 2003 by founder Judith Dullnig and five volunteers.
Mothers earn their way into the Storybook program through good behavior. Once a month, for six months, they meet with volunteers on a Saturday or weekday to choose and record a book for each of their children between the ages of 0 and 14. The Storybook Project has progressed from cassette tapes to CD’s and flash drives to digital recording devices and are now delivered electronically.
They are now a 501 (c) (3) organization with a board of directors, two full-time employees and over 225 volunteers. They make a difference in the lives of both the mothers and the children. “Having the Storybook program is a prayer answered for us and our children. Our children being able to hear our voices is like we are right next to them reading. It’s like we are loving them but from afar.” https://storybookproject.org/
