Tag Archives: citizen advocacy

My Grown Up Christmas Wish…

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    Never a Christmas morn,

    Never the old year ends,

    But someone thinks of someone,

    Old days, old times, old friends

                          (Author unknown)

Each holiday season, I proudly display this framed piece which was completed in 2000. The saying has always been one of my holiday favorites and represents much of what Christmas means to me.

During my forever ago crafting days, I utilized my creativity to include it in what became my first and only originally designed cross-stich project. It was an especially proud moment for me to have achieved this end result.

Now…whenever I experience the typical holiday anxiety, stress, or even sadness—as most of us do especially during this time of year—I find comfort and a sense of ease simply by studying the images and silently reciting those words.

As a way to express my appreciation to the families and friends of six innocent Wisconsin men, the men themselves; Michael Piaskowski, Reynold Moore, Michael Hirn, Dale Basten and Michael Johnson, and to all of you for your continued interest, amazing feedback, and unwavering support of my ongoing advocacy, I offer this special something from my grown up Christmas list; a genuine wish that these same images and words will provide whatever is necessary to fuel your inner peace and sanity, now and throughout the New Year.

Happy Holidays to all of you!

Joan and Mike Treppa

A Meaningful and Long Overdue Exchange…

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I spotted him standing in line a few yards from where I sat. “Now’s your chance,” I thought to myself. Mimicking those same thoughts were ones spoken aloud by my husband, Mike. “You better go now or you’ll lose your chance to talk to him,” he urged. That was all the motivation I needed.

I stood next to him and blurted out, “Howdy!”

He turned. I smiled.

He then greeted me with similar enthusiasm and a smile that warmed my heart.

I showed him my name tag, compliments of the Great North Innocence Project (GN-IP). This evening was their annual gala which had finally brought the two of us together.

“Does this name look familiar?” I inquired. He responded with a curious “No.” It was not too surprising, given that what I was about to share with him happened ten years ago in 2015. This exchange we were now sharing was long overdue.

I explained how I had recently come across correspondence he and I had while he was still incarcerated. “I was sifting through names of all the people who’ve reached out to me over the years through my website, A Matter of Facts, and I came across your name,” I explained.

Recollection was still absent from his face.

I continued. “I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw your name, especially after hearing about you in the news following your exoneration. And then…I freaked and wondered if I had bothered to respond back to you. So…I went digging through my emails and sure enough, I found the correspondence between us. I have to be honest. Back then I received a lot of messages from people looking for help and sadly, I was overwhelmed. As much as I tried, I could not respond to everyone. Your message was so kind and respectful so it was a huge relief to know that I hadn’t ignored you.”

Marvin Haynes* stood there reconciling the details of this long lost connection. “I do remember writing to you!” Familiarity flooded his memory. “Can you send those emails to me? I’d like to see them,” he said.

“Yes, of course,” I reassured him.

“Please, I’d like you to meet some of my friends and family. They’re just over there at that nearby table.” I said. “Plus I have something I’d like to give to you.”

“Sure,” said Marvin. I introduced my husband, Mike, my sister, Clare, a friend, Mark Charron, and finally, Keith Kutska, all of whom were delighted to meet my new friend.

I then pulled my last copy of Reclaiming Lives out of the cloth bag that was hanging on the backrest of a nearby chair. Marvin glanced at it. “You wrote this? I want to write my own book, too,” he said excitedly. “Well, maybe I can help you with that, give you a few pointers,” I offered. That would be great!” Marvin’s excitement grew. I explained that my contact information was inside the book and we agreed that we’d be in touch.

I asked Marvin if he’d pose with me for a photo. He agreed and Mike took the first picture. “Oh, I should be holding your book up for the next one,” Marvin declared.

An entire month passed before I finally got around to gathering the contents of those emails onto a word document which I sent to Marvin in a private message. I reiterated who I was and included the photo Mike had taken of us (with him holding my book) at the Benefit.

To my surprise, almost immediately, Marvin tagged me in the following post on social media:

*Marvin’s story.

Donate to Marvin’s GOFUNDME Campaign

If you have thoughts/feedback about my content please feel free to share them on this site. Thank you. Take care…

Leaving my ‘mark’ at the 2025 Mile of Music…

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Those who know me know that I never shy away from an opportunity to talk about my book and mission. My husband, Mike, is always amazed and yes, a little uneasy at times about my ability to walk up to total strangers and engage in, shall we say, stimulating conversation. But…identifying important and meaningful connections with people is my main focus.

During our time in Wisconsin this past summer, we traveled to Appleton, WI for the twelfth annual Mile of Music Festival. According to their website, the “Mile of Music is a free music festival featuring original music from hundreds of emerging artists each summer. The festival is located in the heart of Downtown Appleton, a walkable mile of restaurants, coffee shops, retailers, bars and more.”

For anyone who has not experienced this festival, it really is just that, an experience.

After listening to a few of the festival’s artists, I did my thing…

Our first stop was the historic Lawrence University Memorial Chapel. We stopped to chat with Jerry who was stationed at the Appleton Community Music, Inc. donation table. Jerry explained that this organization provides fundraising support to sustain the Mile of Music festival. He also explained that in addition, the Mile of Music Festival supports all of their featured artists through what’s known as the Artist Care Program.

My generous husband pulled out his wallet and made a donation. And when Jerry learned that we were from out of town, he asked if we’d be willing to do a brief video describing why we came to the festival. I volunteered…because why not? And because of what I do, I can always use the extra practice! I then left a bookmark with Jerry while explaining what my book is about.

Joan Treppa, Katie Boeck, and Clare Martinson

The musician at this venue was Katie Boeck, a wonderful singer and lyricist whose voice is considered “earthy and cosmic.” She spoke about the challenges of being called to write and the importance of writing meaningful lyrics. Those words compelled me to introduce myself after her performance. When she stepped off the stage to greet her supporters, Mike, my sister, Clare, and I approached her. I shared that I was a different kind of writer and handed her a bookmark. I explained that this was a book about my meaningful journey. She appreciated the gesture and posed for a photo with us. 

We then listened to Jacob Fannin on the Jim’s Place/Wooden Nickel Back patio. Fannin, an energetic Folk vocalist and guitarist, shared what an underachieving student he had been in grade school. Full disclosure; so was I. And the message behind the words to the final song of his set, Bulletproof, deeply resonated with me because of what I had experienced as a child and my journey of overcoming bullying: “Cause I am Bulletproof and nothin’ that you say could ever hurt me. Take your shots I’ll still be standing here…”

Jacob Fannin’s latest CD: Lemonade

Afterward, I approached the table where Fannin was selling/signing merchandise. I shared my thoughts on his final song and how much I appreciated his candor as a student. I then said, “In 5th grade, I received my first really bad grade; an F.” I added, “I didn’t know then that it stood for things like Feisty, Free, and Fabulous.” I handed him money for the CD, then one of my bookmarks, and told him that this was my accomplishment despite my failing grades.

                                                                              Natural Satellite in Tito’s Song Lounge Hilton Appleton Paper Valley hotel, 12th annual Mile of Music Festival Saturday, 8-2-2025, Appleton, WI. Photos courtesy of Dan Powers, USATodayNetwork

Regrettably, not on the schedule the only day (Friday) we were able to attend was one artistic duo we had hoped to see. Karli and Jason Reisdorf of Natural Satellite had performances scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. Their music, which they describe as an “indie folk sound with lyrics centering on themes of self-love, reflection, and personal growth” is exceptional. In fact, they recently won a well-deserved  WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) award for Classical, Jazz, New Age Album! Bravo!

In the coming months I will be collaborating with this dynamic duo on an event that we all are very excited about!

And in other somewhat  related news, I included the below comment in a donation to 91.1 The Avenue during their recent pledge drive. This image was posted on their FB page:

With this response:                                                                                                                               Thank you, Joan ❤️ We can say the same about you! There’s none better than Avenue listeners

This non-profit radio station is located in Appleton and is unique in its programming. I recommend that you check them out when you have a chance. And…know that they sometimes support their listeners in various ways…😉 

Please stay tuned…