Janie’s Angels has partnered with the NBA Foundation and the Dallas Mavericks to continue supporting incarcerated mothers.
Janie’s Angels aims to give incarcerated mothers a second chance to reclaim their families and to reenter their communities successfully after release.
Founded by Angelica Zaragoza to disrupt the cycle of maternal incarceration, Janie’s Angels seeks to reshape the narrative surrounding incarcerated mothers and the changes they can make for themselves and their children during and after prison in partnership with the NBA Foundation and the Dallas Mavericks.
Creating safe spaces for healing and growth
Since 2021, Janie’s Angels has hosted annual summer camps and other events designed to provide children with a safe and supportive space.
The camps have focused on fostering joy and healing through activities such as horseback riding, canoeing, team-building workshops and arts-and-crafts sessions, while helping children navigate the challenges they face outside of their relationships with their mothers.
The NBA Foundation’s grant to Janie’s Angels has helped expand the organization’s summer camps and future programming efforts. The organization hopes to grow its reach and impact beyond Texas and onto a national stage, inspiring others to pursue personal change and transformation.
“The Dallas Mavericks are proud to support Janie’s Angels alongside the NBA Foundation,” said Sean Reed, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Dallas Mavericks.
“Janie’s Angels is creating a meaningful impact by supporting children and mothers impacted by incarceration and helping families build pathways toward healing and long-term success. We are grateful to partner with them on initiatives like the Welcome Home Dinner and the recent Second Chance Summit co-hosted with the National Basketball Association Social Justice Coalition to uplift returning citizens and strengthen our community.”
From incarceration to inspiration
Angelica Zaragoza (left) was inspired by her own journey to create Janie’s Angels in 2024.
Zaragoza found inspiration for founding Janie’s Angels through her own journey as a formerly incarcerated mother.
After being arrested for the final time in 2014, she discovered the Girls Embracing Mothers program, an experience that sparked her personal growth and later inspired the organization she would go on to create nearly a decade later.
“Just my own experience with my daughter. She was hurt, and it was justified. Angry and just totally mad at me and the world,” Zaragoza said.
“Through these visits, communication opened up and allowed us to spend time alone together. When they came through the program, it was just volunteers — no guardians or family members around — just mother and child.”
Upon her release, she created the organization after experiencing the transformative impact of programs that helped reconnect her with her daughter. She now focuses on instituting “hope, trust and belonging” in incarcerated mothers and their families in Texas.
Restoring hope for mothers and children
During one of the most difficult periods in the lives of incarcerated mothers, Janie’s Angels aims to serve as a shining light for families searching for hope and healing.
Helping rebuild and empower mothers is one of the most important ways to be there for their families while incarcerated and once they return home and rejoin their communities.
“When you’re incarcerated and struggling with addiction and everything that comes with it, you lose hope,” Zaragoza said. “When your children are taken away, you lose even more of that hope. That’s what Janie’s Angels tries to restore — hope in a dark place for both the mother and the child. That’s what I needed most: connection and hope.”
Volunteers are needed for the 2026 Janie’s Angels summer camp at Camp Grady Spruce in Graford, Texas, with specific, active requests for male mentors and volunteers to support children impacted by trauma and incarceration. Interested individuals should visit janiesangels.org to fill out the volunteer application.
