“My beginning was beautiful.” This first line of “Tiffany’s Story,” an autobiographical piece written by a young woman several years ago, is familiar to hundreds of students and Program Leaders who have been inspired by the real-life story of Tiffany Sayles, the youngest daughter of an incarcerated parent. Her story is shared in Extended Family for Kids groups everywhere they meet. “Tiffany’s Story” is part of the EFK Lesson “You Are Not Alone,” a much-needed message for children who are struggling with the stress and shared stigma of having a loved one who is incarcerated.
Tiffany Sayles will be one of the featured speakers at Extended Family’s Celebration of Life, commemorating 20 years of programs and services for family members of the incarcerated. Tickets are available now for this very special evening, to be held at Fairview Community Church Gymnasium in Centre, Alabama, Saturday, March 2, 2024. We invite you to join us for an evening of delicious food, wonderful entertainment provided by the Gadsden State Singers, under the direction of J. T. Harrell, and inspiring stories by Tiffany and others who have overcome the hardships of having a loved one incarcerated. We are honored to have Tiffany, who became associated with Extended Family when she became a certified EFK Program Leader several years ago, and other speakers who were students in our Extended Family for Kids and Extended Leadership Academy Programs, share their experiences and help us celebrate twenty years of offering help and inspiring hope for the families of prisoners.
In addition to those in EFK, both students and Program Leaders, who have been touched by her story, Tiffany has also helped countless others as a school counselor for the Gadsden City School system, and for the past three years as the Psychology Program Director of Talladega College. “Tiffany’s Story” ends with her summary of her life years ago, “I am so grateful that the ‘messes’ of my life now serve as ‘messages’. It’s not about how your story begins. The focus is on the finish. Let’s finish well…” We are so thankful for all of Our Kids and adults who love and support Extended Family and we hope you will join us for this Celebration of Life.
