"My first day of work was unlike any other work day I've ever experienced. I was up in the rafters of a roof, helping to build a support beam. After a few hours my bones ached and I was covered with dirt from head to toe. But once I looked up at the work that my team had done, I left that day with t great sense of pride and satisfaction."

"My favorite part of this job is drywall finishing. This is something I like doing and I plan on finding a job doing. Actually, I have a job lined up doing carpentry work while I am at the pre-release center. When I get home, I plan on doing only drywall work."

"When I got back to the institution, I couldn't stop talking about the old house and how the instructors are helping us to reform it into a home for abused women."