Mission
We help incarcerated women build confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of community through participation in comedy workshops; encourage constructive self-expression; and model positive behaviors and ways to handle stress both inside prison and upon rejoining society.
Dear Subscriber,
Season’s greetings to you and yours! In this darkest time of the year we hold our loved ones closer and find many reasons to be grateful. I would like to share my gratitude with you and update you on my nonprofit, Laughing on the Inside, Inc.
In late September, poised to fulfill our mission to enhance and expand the lives of incarcerated women, a small group of us—three instructors and three volunteers—went into Valley State Prison for Women (VSPW) in Chowchilla, and our instructors from the San Francisco Comedy College taught stand-up and improv to nearly 60 women over the course of one weekend. And it was remarkable.
On Friday evening, 28 women gathered in a circle and started participating in their first improv exercise. Within five minutes they were laughing with such glee that everyone in the room forgot where we were; inmates, prison staff, and our small group were transported.
At that moment, I knew that teaching incarcerated women to create comedy was a beneficial and worthwhile endeavor, and that the class would be a success.
For the rest of the weekend, our stand-up students went through the same coursework as the students at the comedy college. From stepping onstage for the first time and telling their life stories, to performing in the grad show at the end of the weekend, they were focused and intent on making the most of this opportunity, and we were stunned by the depth of their efforts and the polish of their final product.
You can read my account of our first prison visit at: http://bit.ly/UP3Hn5
We encouraged the women to take what they learned back to their dorms and share with other inmates, expanding the student base. I’ve already gotten three letters from participants with accounts of using our techniques to energize a workshop, to brighten someone’s mood, and to cope with the pressures of being moved to a new prison. In her post-service survey, another inmate who is to be released soon reported that she intends to use humor and laughter in service to others in the job waiting for her working with at-risk youth.
The comedy college instructors and I are very eager to get back inside women’s prisons to continue providing comedy training, but we need your help. Please consider making a donation to Laughing on the Inside, Inc. We are a 501(c)(3) corporation and not only is your donation fully tax-deductable, 100% goes directly to services for incarcerated women. We want to serve all of California’s women’s prisons and expand into women’s jails throughout our state, and need your involvement to do that. (Your contribution made by midnight December 31st is applicable to the 2012 tax year.)
Donations may be made through PayPal or Razoo (http://razoo.com/loti), and donate buttons are displayed throughout our website at http://laughingontheinside.org.
Oh, and you might be interested in reading my interview on the Jails to Jobs blog: http://bit.ly/UWhfAu
I am so grateful we finally started our first initiative: bringing comedy classes to female inmates to provide them with a constructive channel through which to explore their life experiences, both positive and negative, and give them more tools to help them reflect and rebuild, and regain their voices. I am grateful to have instructors who are excellent at what they do and who believe passionately in our mission. I am grateful for the enthusiastic participants of our first classes and for the support of the prison staff. And I am grateful for the generosity of the donors who have made all of this possible.
Thank you for your interest, and as we begin 2013, I wish you and yours a very prosperous and heart-filled new year.
Best and warmest wishes,
Teresa Bacigalupi
Founder
Laughing on the Inside, Inc.
Teresa@laughingontheinside.org
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If you wish to contribute in memory of a loved one on the Razoo site, we will also place that person’s name on our website’s In Memoriam page at http://laughingontheinside.org/memoriam/. If you wish us to add their photo and/or a short tribute, send the image and information (up to 60 words – we can help you edit) to teresa@laughingontheinside.org.
There are many more ways you can help LOTI accomplish its mission. Simply put, tell everyone you know! Everything you do to spread the word will help. Thank you so much for your involvement in Laughing on the Inside, Inc.
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Blog
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Thank you so much for your involvement in Laughing on the Inside, Inc. With your help, we will be providing comedy classes to hundreds of women in need of levity, expanding their skill sets, and regaining their voices.