From Prison to Purpose
The Woman Behind the Mission
I'm Lisa Porter, a Journeyman Laborer in Construction. During my twenty-five years of being in construction I have had the pleasure of working on several large scale jobs in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. The many projects include the expansion of Barnes-Jewish Hospital (BJC), building the St. Louis Ballpark Village, and also the demolition of the twenty story Queeny Tower building located in the Central West End. I also had the pleasure of working construction of the CityPark Soccer Stadium in Downtown St. Louis.
My drive to help children with incarcerated parents comes from my own personal experience of being incarcerated. I received a five-year prison term, in 2004, as a result of hanging out with the wrong crowd. During my time in prison I met women who had received no visits from their children in 7 to 9 months, even worse, some women not having any contact with their children for a year or longer. Although I had a strong support system when I was incarcerated, I understood the anxiety, anticipation, and frustration these women were experiencing due to lack of visitation from their children.
my story
As time went on I began asking my very own family to help other inmates' children and caregivers on the outside. My mother and sister would purchase items needed for some of the inmates' children including prom dresses, baby pampers, school uniforms, and even Six Flags tickets to go spend time with their friends.
While in prison I decided and knew that once I was released I was going to start an organization helping children with incarcerated parents. Upon my release, I went back to working construction, put my daughter through college, got married, and bought my first home. Although many good things were accomplished after my incarceration, I was still thinking about the children with incarcerated mothers. So, in the year 2020 I decided to retire from construction to start my organization, 4 Walls and Beyond, where my Mission is to assist children with incarcerated parents and support ongoing communication during time of imprisonment.
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My efforts have since spread to helping the disadvantaged youth of the community in St. Louis City. I have partnered with established local organizations to help bring beneficial resources to empower those in need.
Contact
Thank you to all who have supported me on this journey.
314-276-9082