Meet Our Founder

Be Free grew out of my own reentry and the gaps I lived through. I spent years in and out of jail and most recently in federal prison. When I came home, I was rebuilding my life while still carrying trauma, shame, and fear, and I kept thinking, I wish there was something like this when I got out.

I found healing through community, recovery, and restorative justice circles. I also saw how many women were coming home to the same barriers: housing, technology, supervision, family pain, and systems that weren’t built for us. Be Free Foundation started as a simple idea: what if women didn’t have to walk that road alone?

Today, Be Free is a survivor-led project in San Diego that offers a clear path: Walk With Me for reentry and stability, Heal to Rise for deep healing and family repair, and Restore to Lead for leadership and advocacy. We believe the women most impacted by incarceration shouldn’t just be “served” – they should be shaping solutions and leading change.

Kendra Drysdale