Holding Hope Family

Guidance for Families Navigating the Wait

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Hello there, I’m Claire Olivia (Clarisis Green) — a medical and behavioral health professional, author, motivator, and advocate for healing through truth and faith. I founded Holding Hope Family to help parents and loved ones navigate one of life’s hardest seasons — when someone they love enters the correctional system. Through empathy, guidance, and lived experience, I’ve made it my mission to replace fear with understanding and isolation with community. Here, I share real insight, gentle encouragement, and faith-rooted support to help families hold on to what matters most — hope, love, and connection. “Even in the waiting, healing is happening.”

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  • Family & Chaos

    I’ve become so frustrated with some family members. On July 30th, I drove almost three hours to pick up a cousin for a weekend getaway. Honestly, my main purpose was to get her out of her apartment, change her environment for a few days, and hopefully have a good time together. Before the trip, she…

  • My spouse passed away several years ago, so I no longer have a significant other. However, our story began more than 35 years ago, when I was just seventeen years old. It was a Saturday night, and I was walking past a bar on my way to the store. As I passed by, he came…

  • Which outdated technology do I miss the most, and why?

    I miss handwritten letters and the anticipation of checking the mailbox. There was something special about slowing down, putting pen to paper, and knowing someone took the time to write just for you. In a world of instant messages, I think we’ve lost a little of that personal connection.

  • The Decisions We Don’t Understand… Until We Do

    Have you ever looked back over your life and wondered, “Why did I make that decision?” For years, I judged myself by my choices. I thought my life was simply a series of bad decisions. What I didn’t understand was that decisions rarely appear out of nowhere. They have roots. Sometimes those roots are planted…

  • A Birthday Call

    Recently, I received a phone call from my son, Vito. The moment I heard his voice, I began singing “Happy Birthday” to him. It has become a tradition of sorts—one that reminds us that no matter the distance between us, we are still connected. Vito has been incarcerated for a little over eight years now.…

  • Powerlessness

    Two nights ago, I received a phone call that someone I love was in crisis. They were contemplating suicide. They couldn’t understand what was wrong with them—why they behave the way they do, why they hurt the people they love, and most importantly, why they were even having thoughts of ending their life. And in…

  • The Best Compliment I Ever Received

    There have been many compliments over the years—about how I look, how I speak, or how I carry myself—but the one that has stayed with me the most didn’t have anything to do with the outside. The best compliment I ever received was this: “You’re not the same person you used to be.” At first,…

  • Supporting families impacted by incarceration

    Its a topic close to my heart. Its actually personal because its relatable to me. I hope it helps someone who feels alone on this journey. For me, incarceration became real the day my son was taken into the system. In one moment, everything changed. I went from watching the news like everyone else, to…

  • Hello World!

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