We transform ex-offenders to live Christ-centred lives, so families come together stronger.
Yes, you might be asking:
Why does this even matter?
Because we all make mistakes
You and I have made mistakes in our lives. Maybe not those that fall afoul of the law, but we've all been in a place where we've needed that second or third chance.
Whether it be a job interview, a relationship, or even a marriage, we've all needed to be shown grace, and for other party to forgive us, so that we can continue to be with them.
But not all mistakes are a result of individual failings.
Some of your mistakes, may not have been entirely your fault.
Similarly, when you meet our residents, you might realise that many of them are like the kind, genial uncles you meet at the coffee shop below your home. They are not all that different. So why have they landed up in such differing circumstances? Some may have had poor childhoods, grown in abject poverty, and had little else to work with.
That's why we all need second, third, and fourth chances.
Change is difficult. We've all been there. Even after our best efforts, we still repeat the same mistakes.
Our residents are the same. They are only human. And that's why to help them along the recovery process, we have to keep providing opportunities for change.
Because the resilience of our society, depends not just on how far you rise, but how we lift others when they fall.
This is why we do what we do.
the challenge
We've seen the challenges of the ex-offender community over the past 30 years.
Despite their best efforts to change, many challenges hinder the change they want to make.
They struggle to go back to their families, friends and loved ones.
No ex-offender exists in a vacuum. They have families, friends and loved ones. But because of their mistakes, their mother, or even friends might refuse to even see them again. They feel unsupported, and lack the ecosystem that makes the path worth it.
Not many employers would accept them.
Without a job to go onto, some of them end up returning to their previous friends for work, fueling the vicious cycle of negative influences, poor work, and eventual abuse.
Change is gradual, and not always immediate.
Whilst we would hope for change to come quickly, some of our residents may not find change happening that easily. That's why change is a journey, and we are here with them, each step of the way.