In honor of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Pumpkin Decorating Contest, female reentrants at Kintock’s Erie Avenue Philadelphia Parole Violators program recently participated in painting their own Pennsylvania-grown pumpkins. The reentrants embraced the opportunity to paint their own Pennsylvania-grown pumpkins, infusing them with unique spins and themes that reflected their journeys of reentry and recovery.

Alicia Hibbler, a participant in the event, shared insights into the profound meanings behind each pumpkin's art, emphasizing the therapeutic value the exercise brought to the group. The pumpkins now stand proudly on display in their dorm, serving as a visual testament to the strength and artistic spirit of these individuals.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to Ms. McClinton for orchestrating this uplifting event that not only showcased reentrants artistic talents but also fostered a sense of community and healing.

Each reentrant gave their pumpkin a different spin, and several painted theirs with themes of reentry and recovery in mind. Alicia Hibbler, who walked me through the meaning of each pumpkin's art, said that they really enjoyed the exercise and found it therapeutic. They now keep all the pumpkins up for display in their dorm.

Thank you to Ms. McClinton for making our pumpkin painting event happen!