Pictured: (l-r) Tara and Victoria are getting fresh starts in life thanks to help from Project 180. Provided photo.

Antonia Rolle believes in the power of second chances. As President and CEO of Project 180, Rolle leads the Sarasota-based organization dedicated to helping people successfully reintegrate into their communities after incarceration.

Project 180 recently introduced Her Next Chapter: The Choice Fund, an initiative designed to give women in the Women’s Residential Program greater autonomy over their personal care. With community support, participants receive up to $150 to create personalized Confidence Kits, choosing their own hygiene, skincare and hair-care products.

The idea grew from a simple but meaningful moment. The day after Lisa, an incoming resident, was released from incarceration, Project 180 Brand and Operations Manager Stacey Rickelmann was helping her get her ID. Rickelmann noticed Lisa seemed uncomfortable and asked what might help. Lisa explained that the hard water in jail had caused her skin to break out, leaving her feeling insecure. Rickelmann reached out to friends for extra skincare and makeup. When several offered to donate money instead, she realized there was an opportunity to do something more meaningful than simply providing secondhand products. For many women returning from incarceration, it may have been years since they had the freedom to choose something as personal as a skincare or hair-care product.

“We didn’t want to make another choice for them. We wanted to give the choice back to them,” Rickelmann says. From that thought, Her Next Chapter was born.

“Women are constantly surrounded by messages about how they are supposed to look, and it can be incredibly difficult to feel confident when you don't even have access to the basic products that help you care for your skin, your hair or the things about yourself that make you feel like you,” Rolle says. The community response has been strong enough that Project 180 now has funding for a substantial supply of makeup and basic beauty products. The organization’s broader needs, however, remain ongoing.

“Project 180 has been doing this work for years,” Rolle says. “There are so many less visible needs that keep our programs running, from transportation and our next vehicle, to housing, food, technology, staffing and the countless practical needs that come with helping someone successfully rebuild their life.”

Donations to Project 180’s general fund can help provide the core wraparound services and daily operations that make those new beginnings possible.

To learn more or make a donation, visit project180reentry.org.

Pictured: (l-r) Tara and Victoria are getting fresh starts in life thanks to help from Project 180. Provided photo.

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