Laure Clemons and her daughters were just a few miles from home when they were stopped by a sheriff diverting traffic around a tragic accident. As Laure scanned the wreckage, her heart sank. She recognized the back of her husband’s truck. Her husband Jerry, a recovering alcoholic who had been sober for nine years, had made the devastating decision to break his sobriety. That choice set off a chain of events that forever changed his life and the lives of his wife and daughters. While driving under the influence, Jerry collided with another vehicle, resulting in the heartbreaking loss of one passenger, serious injuries to another, and life-threatening injuries to himself. Ultimately, he was sentenced to six years in prison, leaving Laure and their children to navigate a new reality, one marked by separation and uncertainty.
In the darkness, Laure found purpose. That painful day led her to create Extended Family, a community-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting families facing the incarceration of a loved one. She vowed to give others the support she so desperately needed but could not find. Since that time more than twenty years ago, her vision has illuminated the lives of thousands of adults and children left behind when a family member enters the prison system.
Laure’s journey is a testament to resilience, hope, and the power of turning personal pain into meaningful purpose. Through Extended Family, she has created a beacon of light for countless families walking the same difficult path. This year, Jerry celebrated 24 years of sobriety. He serves as Reentry Coordinator for Extended Success for Life, an Extended Family mentoring program designed to help other men return from prison to their communities successfully.
Laure and Jerry’s story, along with the stories of several others, has been preserved in an exhibit by photographer Patti Ford called Journeys, which is now on display at the Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts, 501 Broad Street, Gadsden, Alabama. Admission is free and the gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 10am – 5pm; Friday, 10am – 1pm; and Saturday, 10am – 5pm.
For more information on the programs and services offered by Extended Family, please visit our website, www.extendedfamilyhelp.org.