Local Author Spotlight: Winona Shearer and Read to Rise

By Emily King

For this month’s local author column, we wanted to introduce you to a local woman who understands the impact that reading can have on everyone. Winona Shearer is a volunteer coordinator at a hospice care organization in the north hills. She’s also a huge advocate for mental health awareness.

Growing up without a lot of positive influences or guidance, Shearer saw firsthand how the lack of a supportive environment can influence the direction of someone’s life. She watched friends and family members turn to drugs and violence, a path that she recognizes she could have followed herself. Education helped her escape her environment and allowed her to create a life and career that helped her heal. Now she wants to help others heal and see the potential for a different way of life, particularly those who are incarcerated. 

When one of Shearer’s family members was incarcerated at the Allegheny County Jail, he faced a lot of boredom. At one point they had books for the inmates, but a lot of people started using them as weights to lift, so they stopped giving them out. They did have an option to borrow books on e-readers, but inmates had to purchase them and many didn’t have the resources to do that. 

Around the same time, that relative was severely beaten by someone, for accidentally taking a sip of his coffee. Shearer is currently in graduate school for clinical therapy and recognized that many of these people suffered from mental health issues and had no way of coping. As an avid reader, she recognized that books can have in changing someone’s perspective. So she decided she would try to find a way to get spiritual and self-improvement books in the hands of inmates.

“Sometimes a single book can offer the guidance someone never had,” says Shearer.  

“Not all of us were lucky enough to grow up with people or in environments that supported our growth. I know personally that sometimes the right guidance comes later in life but that it can still change the direction of your life.” 

She reached out to the librarian at the Allegheny County Jail and asked if she could arrange to donate books to their library. The librarian was thrilled with the idea and said that they were currently renovating to create space for a physical library, so the donations would be welcomed. 

Now Shearer is in the process of getting the word out about the initiative, which she has named Read to Rise. She is working with the Foundation of Hope, a nonprofit organization that helps empower people impacted by the criminal justice system rebuild their lives by renewing their faith and restoring positive relationships. They offer chaplaincy services and pre-release programs at the Allegheny County Jail. They are helping Shearer process the books and prepare them to be placed in the jail’s library. 

“Read to Rise is a program I started to help bring books to the Allegheny County Jail because sometimes one book can be a wake-up call, a shift in mindset, or a catalyst for change. The goal is to offer inspiring, thought-provoking books that could ignite a change in thinking, one that leads to growth and healing,” she says.

As Shearer collects more books and gets them to the jail, she anticipates that the library will be ready soon for inmates to take advantage of. But she needs help from the community to donate more books. You can find the Amazon wish list by scanning the QR code on this page. You can also reach Shearer at readtorise@zohomail.com.