Episode 129: Sherelle: Breaking the Cycle By Supporting the Children of Incarceration

This week’s episode of the 1 Girl Revolution Podcast features Sherelle Hogan, founder of the Pure Heart Foundation. Sherelle has a tragic, beautiful, and powerful life story to share. Both of Sherelle’s parents were incarcerated when she was young. While they were incarcerated, she was abused. And then shortly after her father got out, he died when she was just 10 years old. The first years of Sherelle’s life were filled with heartache, pain, and suffering, but as she tells in this episode, when she was 14 years old a mentor encouraged her to find light in the darkness… and Sherelle did just that. 

Though her upbringing was harrowing, Sherelle found purpose in her journey and turned her adolescent experience into her life’s work. Vowing to be an advocate for children of incarcerated parents and ensuring that other children in similar situations are not only heard but that they aren’t forgotten.

Since 2015, as the founder of “Pure Heart Foundation”, for over 2,500 children, or scholars as their referred to in the program, Sherelle has supplied scholarships, jobs, counseling, and a community of awareness that has not only provided a voice for the voiceless but has restored a sense of self worth for everyone who enters the program.

With a goal of decreasing generational incarceration, including “the school to prison pipeline” and creating a new cycle of hope, love, and financial sustainability, Sherelle illustrates her journey to freedom through her book entitled “The Prisoners’ Kid”. In 2018 Sherelle went on a book tour she named “Reforming the System from Inside”, visiting prisons around the country and speaking with inmates to discuss how to break the cycle. The journey to freedom has only begun. 

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Sherelle’s inspiring life story; 
• Her experience growing up with parents who were incarcerated;
• How she overcame the difficulties, abuse, and suffering she experienced as a child and how she decided to dedicate her life to helping other kids;
• The story of how Sherelle left her job and started the Pure Heart Foundation;
• About the Pure Heart Foundation and more about their incredible work;
• And so much more.

For more information on Sherelle, her work, her book, or to invite her to speak, please visit Sherelle’s website. You can order her book “The Prisoner’s Kid” here.

For more information on the Pure Heart Foundation, please visit their website. Follow the Pure Heart Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.