Changing Lives from the Inside

Just 26 years old and the mother of three young children, Rhonda Leland found herself behind bars serving a life […more…]

The Freedom to Choose Project

Donate now!

www.freedomtochooseproject.org
Executive Director: Forrest Leichtberg
(805) 895-8311

Mission

To transform the lives of individuals impacted by incarceration through compassionate experiential education.

Begin to Build a Relationship

We know you care about where your money goes and how it is used. Connect with this organization’s leadership in order to begin to build this important relationship. Your email will be sent directly to this organization’s director of development and/or Executive Director.

Without Freedom to Choose, I wouldn’t be free today. I now work at a law office for one of the attorneys who represented me, train for the Modesto School District, and consult for the Modesto Police Department on race relations. I also secured a contract with Life Moves in San Jose to help reintegrate homeless individuals into their families, and I’ve just started my own LLC. The education, love, and self-esteem I gained from Freedom to Choose transformed my life and future. If you have the opportunity to support, do it, because many of us will make it back to the community, and how we show up may be in your control.
Michael Baldwin
Program Alumni, Returning Citizen and Freedom to Choose Board Member

Support the Power of Second Chances

Since 2004, the Freedom to Choose Project has offered workshops, groups, and correspondence programs that focus on behavioral growth, trauma healing, and leadership, while developing emotional intelligence and communication skills. These programs have reached nearly 10,000 participants, providing over 220,000 hours of education across all California state prisons and the Santa Barbara County Jail.

    •$250 – helps 2 students for 3 months

    •$500 – helps 5 students for 3 months

    •$1,000 – helps 10 students for 3 months

    •$2,500 – helps 5 students for 6 months

    •$5,000 – helps 10 students for 6 months

    •$10,000 – helps 20 students for 6 months

    •$25,000 – helps 60 students for 6 months

Key Supporters

Santa Barbara County
Sheriff’s Office
California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation
Santa Barbara Foundation
Learning by Giving Foundation
Williams-Corbett Foundation
Berkshire Hathaway’s
Charitable Foundation
Pond Foundation
Roddick Foundation
Colorado Longevity Institute
Chami Family Foundation
St. Bernardine of Siena Church
Center for Hope and Healing
The Eberhard Foundation
Centers for Spiritual Living
University of Santa Monica
Argyros Family Foundation
Sale Family Foundation
Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown
Charitable Foundation
Salesforce.com
Agape International Spiritual Center
Central Valley
Community Foundation
Schaff Foundation
The Lia Fund