In reflecting on what molded her into an activist of the heart, Alice writes:
“As number eight of nine children, I was forced to learn to be a team player. I am grateful for it now.
I learned quickly that embracing humor and laughter was the way we all survived the chaos of life in a big Catholic family.
My parents taught me many things — honesty, empathy, compassion — things I have never forgotten. Their mission — ‘service to others’ — was one of the most important (and rewarding) aspects of their lives.
I grew up always noticing the people that could use a hand and, later, began using my solo shows as fundraising events for The Venice Family Clinic, Paul Newman’s Camp for Kids, and other organizations.
While earning a Masters Degree in Spiritual Psychology, I met the founders of the Freedom to Choose Prison Project and have been volunteering ever since. Sitting in prison, across from the incarcerated (sharing our stories, our joy, our trauma, our grief) has deepened my understanding of life and love. It has solidified my artistic mission — to simply ‘look inside the soul, and see the beauty that lies within.’
I have come to truly believe that we are all one, and if we can sit across from each other, listen to each other’s stories, struggles, backgrounds… fear and hatred of ‘the other’ will eventually melt away.”