As many people agree, the holiday season is a time focused on family, friends, and giving to others. However, for many, these upcoming weeks are some of the hardest of the year due to being away from their loved ones for various reasons. Realizing this season as a vulnerable time for some people, singer Brandi Carlile has spent the last 10 years visiting a women’s corrections center in her home state of Washington during the holidays.
Featured on Rolling Stone, a short film about Carlile’s experiences at the corrections center and the work of her charity called Looking Out Foundation are visualized. Founded in 2008 by Carlile, Tim Hanseroth and Phil Hanseroth, the team created Looking Out Foundation to impact underserved communities and minority groups through the power of music.
“I believe the voices of incarcerated women should be amplified almost above all the rest. They have something to teach us from a place that can only be perceived as complete humility and a desire to change our hearts” Carlie said to the magazine “When used for wisdom and a beacon to light the path of young people, these testimonies are sometimes a matter of life and death,” Carlile adds. “I need to be a part of this movement because while I have my freedom, I can’t fully see the forest for the trees.”
Photo Credit: Getty Images