Stories and Updates

The most recent Renovare events that I have experienced left me asking myself “what stories am I unwilling to tell and get near to?”

Renovare was invited back to Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA as guest chapel speakers!

Through the work of Renovare I get to see God’s presence in more ways than I would have ever imagined, and as a result my trust in the Lord grows. Day by day, I see light in dark places.

Believing that we all have a part to play in the wellbeing of our community, Renovare embarked on a journey to use our musical gifts in service of Black infant and maternal vitality.

Trust us when we say these concerts spanned a wide variety of genres. We took on a little bit of everything, from Eminem to Beethoven to The Charlie Daniels Band!

The women’s performance last month was a beautiful celebration of their hard work, as family members and other women at the prison gathered to enjoy their music and cheer for them.

“Hope is what allows us to push on, when the senses we rely on present evidence to the contrary. It is why I leave my bed, why I better myself, why I invest in those around me. So tomorrow might be better than today.” - resident at the Grafton Correctional Institution

We were so inspired by the stories we heard last fall that we went back for more! This summer we met and wrote DocSongs with Peggi Cruz, owner and chef of Cha’firo and Danielle Piscura, co-founder of the Garden Christian Academy, both located in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood.

It’s humbling and truly a blessing to see how a community of string musicians has been birthed and now taken on a life of its own at the Grafton Correctional Institution in less than five years.