The Lioness Tale Prison Project (LiT-uPP)

It is springtime here at Skyline! And it's a great time to schedule a workshop or make a private retreat. We have walking trails throughout our 200 acres of forestland. Bridger Creek runs year-round through the heart of our land and you can rest near her banks undisturbed and listen to her song. If you want to take a short drive, the middle and north forks of the beautiful Yuba River are just 20 minutes away. Continue along Hiway 49 following the north fork of the Yuba River and experience the magnificence of this river canyon, taking you through the historic towns of Downieville and Sierra City and eventually to the craggy Sierra Buttes and the Lakes Basin Recreation area. There you will find dozens of alpine hiking trails and high mountain lakes. Cedar on Bridger Creek

If you have a workshop in mind, consider gathering:

• A group of friends
• A spiritual group
• A recovery group
• A group of family members
• A group of co-workers
• Your business team or staff

The Lioness Tale Prison Project
(LiT-uPP)

Since our last newsletter I've been back down to the Central California Women's Facility (CCWF) twice. The first time was to introduce myself and the Lioness Tale program and to choose the participants. Thanks to the chaplain, Sr. Maryanne, who had invited women who she thought would be particularly interested in becoming future facilitators for LiT-uPP, I had the chance to share my vision with about 15 inmates. Some of the women who attended had already spent 20 or more years in prison. Some were doing life without the possibility of parole (L-WOP) and others were in the middle or near the end of some very long sentences.

I was graciously welcomed and the program enthusiastically embraced. Going around the gathered circle, I asked each woman to tell us something she would like us to know about herself. These are a few responses: I want to grow spiritually... I'm struggling to stay positive... I'm stepping out of my comfort zone... I want to discover the deeper meaning of things... I want to change... I want to learn how to let go... I want to better myself and be of service to my community in here... I'm searching for my vocation... What was confirmed was the truth of our common humanity, our common need to live a life that is purposeful and connected to our best natures.

CCWF, Chowchilla, California

On my second trip we took the first step of our Lioness Tale journey together. I introduced the Enneagram as a common framework for understanding the story of Lioness as well as our own life stories. We focused particularly on the fundamental goodness of our essential nature as the foundation for our work together. Each workshop will begin and end with centering into our truest selves which in turn provides the supportive ground for exploring the ways that we become estranged from our basic truth. The women were especially appreciative of their sketch books and the opportunity for creative expression of their own personal tale.

YLINE HARVEST THANKS YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

We are so appreciative of your faith in us and this project! We continue to ask you to lend us your credibility by forwarding this newsletter to any person who you believe may have an interest in supporting our work, or any organization who may be able to offer funding for its ongoing success.

For more information on The Lioness Tale Prison Project

Follow Diane's Blog bringing you along on the journey of LiT-uPP. She will be sharing links and information, stories about the program and the people she meets along the way, and encouraging you to accompany her on this learning curve about the women and men locked inside our criminal justice system.

You can read Diane's blog now at skylineprisonlines.

If you would like to make a financial contribution to LiT-uPP you
can make a donation through PayPal:

Or send a check payable to Skyline Harvest, Inc, PO Box 338, Camptonville, CA 95922.

Your donations are tax deductible.

In gratitude,
Diane Pendola