CJCJ honors our friend and caring leader, Juidell Preston, who passed away on August 6, 2016. After overcoming her own challenges in life, Juidell devoted her passion and energy to helping others. As a CJCJ No Violence Alliance (NoVA) senior case manager, she relentlessly served our San Francisco community and supported individuals with violent pasts to “reenter our community positively,” as she once said.
Juidell Preston with Gerald Miller
She understood their experiences all too well. “They’ve been let down so much all their life” she said, “but we’re there for them.” She believed that supporting people who were hurting required help from the whole community. It was through this community-driven approach that she connected so strongly with her NoVA clients.
Juidell was so real and honest with her clients that the strength of her words could change the direction of their lives. Equally, if not doubly so, her commitment to and compassion for her clients enabled those who once felt hopeless and alone to know that now someone genuinely cared about them.
Juidell was the type of person who called her clients to wish them happy birthday, regardless of where she or they might be, to let them know that she cared. She was available to talk and give advice 24⁄7 for those who called upon her in desperate need of real and immediate support.
Juidell Preston
In 2009, the justice community recognized the extraordinary impact she consistently provided to her clients, and presented her with the Change Agent Award as part of the Bayview Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Services 7th Annual “In the Trenches” Awards.
Juidell’s life story was the perfect example of someone devoted to changing the world for the better. She worked every day to instill the concept of an improved life in the minds of the people she worked with — colleagues and clients alike. She was not shy to share her story, which she told to demonstrate to all that if she could change her life, then each of us could better ours as well. Juidell’s words and actions were moving and powerful, and hundreds of us are better off today because of her.
Juidell left us with these words of wisdom: “There’s nothing you can do about the past, you can build for the future.”
Forever remembered. Thank you, Juidell.
Watch Juidell speak about the impact of her work with the No Violence Alliance »
To make a contribution to Juidell’s family, please visit CJCJ’s donation page and designate your gift to “Juidell’s family.”