H.O.N.O.R. is an acronym for
Helping Our Neighbors Overcome and Rebuild
1 in 3 veterans become justice-involved and veterans make up 8% of the prisoner population in the state and 5% Federally. (Veteran Justice Commission)
“Amidst the growing concern over the suicide rate (22+ per day), there are many who self-medicate and deal with the traumas of war in ways that cause them to lose their freedom …these imprisoned casualties have been entirely forgotten. It is as if they are dead, while still alive. The good news is, there is still time to save them!”
– Melanie Davis Author of The Triumph Program and Founder of H.O.N.O.R. Mentoring
MISSION:
To see veterans recognized and supported while in prison and then succeed in life upon release as high-functioning members of society with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive as they move forward with purpose and meaning and to prevent our heroes from ever becoming incarcerated in the first place.
Veterans are losing their freedom because of defending ours.
H.O.N.O.R. Mentoring is multi-award-winning including
2019 Texas Governor’s Award for Service to Veterans
See First Lady Abbott Congratulate HONOR Mentoring:
Triumph Program Author, H.O.N.O.R. Mentoring Founder and UWI Board Member, Melanie Davis, receiving the Governor’s Award from First Lady Abbott
Stage One- Support and Personal Development Inside Prison
Watch the Promo Video for The Triumph Program:
THE TRIUMPH PROGRAM:
The best solutions for surviving the challenges after deployment come from the many heroes who can teach how they have overcome the common adversities our returning heroes face such as homelessness, double amputation, survivors’ guilt, PTSD and additional unseen wounds.
The Triumph Book: HEROES is a collection of 24 first-person stories from veterans spanning the decades of war, who share how they are winning the worst battles veterans face at home. After reading HEROES, program participants are prepared to work through the narrative therapy/peer-to-peer mentoring process of recording and sharing their own Triumph Stories using a workbook called The Triumph Program. The workbook helps veterans evolve as they process the tragedies and losses they have suffered and gradually look forward, finding purpose in life, setting goals, and exploring who they can
The Triumph Program is a trauma-informed narrative therapy process assisting incarcerated veterans to put past horrors on paper, work through the anger, survivor’s guilt, and anxiety that PTSD brings, and find purpose and meaning in the experience of war. The stories they write can serve as bridges of understanding for their families, creating stronger bonds as loved ones better understand their veteran family member.
More than 300 veterans have graduated from The Triumph Program in ten maximum security prison units in Texas.
H.O.N.O.R. Mentoring Communities
H.O.N.O.R. Mentoring gives incarcerated veterans meaningful opportunities to continue serving our country by mentoring and supporting their prison unit neighbors resulting in improved relations and a more positive culture for all who live or work in units where The Triumph Program is present. Avenues for giving service provide the sense of purpose and usefulness that is often lacking as veterans return home from war and which becomes more pronounced in the restricted penitentiary environment.
Through the H.O.N.O.R. Mentoring program, veterans can set positive examples and lead the way towards growth and development, just as they have gone ahead of us when they protected our country. Through their servant-based leadership, an increase in comradery and positivity unit-wide will lead to a more productive environment in which inmates can serve their time and be prepared to reintegrate back into society.
The process of prisoners mentoring one another is as rehabilitative as the education itself.
TESTIMONIALS
Stage Two- A Reentry Facility where formerly incarcerated veterans continue to receive support upon release.
MISSION:
To assist veterans after incarceration with transitional housing, job skills, employment and counseling support to ensure mental health and stability, successful reentry, and reduced recidivism.