When the Diersen center implemented a Unity Circle to counteract verbal and mental abuse the clients had experienced, the staff had no idea the concept would be used by Dismas Charities on the national level. The Circle, according to Director Ronyal Horton, is designed to give the women under his care a “push up” or “shout out” at the end of the week, to help bolster their spirits and outlook on life. “Many (clients) have gone their whole existence without being given any positive affirmations,” Horton said. “Positive words of encouragement and hope can many times change the trajectory of someone’s life.” When Dismas President/CEO Ray Weis and Executive Vice President Jan Kempf witnessed how successful the concept was during a visit to the Diersen program, they decided to incorporate it into Dismas’ Leadership Training at the 51st Annual Research Conference of the International Community Corrections Association in Boston. Like the emotions triggered during the sessions at the Diersen facility, the Dismas Unity Circle in Boston “was a very emotional and powerful display of what family means, and is, and why it is important to encourage people (demonstrated here by Regional Vice President Faith Good (left) and Memphis Director James Williams. It instills the values of hope, being open, vulnerable, and of trust. This is why we implemented it in our program,” Horton concluded.
