Stories Of New Beginnings
This issue and the next will feature entrance interviews from some of our residents at Reentry House Plus. Thank you to the Program Committee who collects these. We hope you will see both the challenges for these individuals when they arrive at RHP, and the hopeful trajectory on which we hope to launch them when they leave. (Names have been changed for their anonymity)
Thank you for your support that brings these stories to reality!
Michael
Michael heard about the house through a friend in prison who said he knew people who had successfully transitioned at Reentry House Plus.
Michael came to RHP because he understood “in his bones” that it was a bad idea for him to return to his hometown where he got into drugs and eventually was lost to the streets. He is close to his family and has been down to New Bern to visit a few times since he has been out. He says just being there and seeing the old haunts where he used to hang out gives him a bad feeling. He knows he cannot go back to live there.
In reflecting on his expectations in coming to RHP, Michael says that he simply wanted to learn how to interact with people again after serving a 20- year sentence and spending time in solitary. He says RHP has helped enormously in that regard. He feels much more comfortable with people. He appreciates the fact that Will and Scottso hired him into their landscaping business and have helped him adapt to life on the outside.
For his goals at RHP, Michael is working on building his credit rating and getting his driver’s license. His next step is to get a better paying job and to move on from Reentry House Plus. He feels he is close to being ready to do that. In the longer term – say 4 to 5 years – Michael plans to get his CDL (truckers license) and to be able to buy a rig. He has watched the huge shift to online shopping since the onset of Covid and believes there will continue to be a huge demand for shipping. His dream is to start a company with several rigs so he can hire guys who are justice involved.
In reflecting on what was good at RHP, Michael is grateful for the support he hasreceived from Tommy, Will, and Scottso. “They have been through, and they understand what I’m going through.” He also speaks very fondly of Elizabeth, saying that she is an amazing person.
Reflecting on something he would like to see improved at RHP, Michael is very close to his family and was frustrated that he was limited to seeing them just once a month. He would have liked to have visited them more often. Michael also believes RHP could do a better job helping residents reconnect with family. That connection can be very awkward and sometimes fraught after being away for so many years. Michael would have liked it if someone at RHP had talked to him about how to go about reconnecting.
In summary, Michael said that he has been able to cross that bridge successfully and speaks of his family with great warmth and enthusiasm.
Jimmy
Jimmy was in jail and got out over a year ago. He learned about RHP from another transition house, Straight Talk, located in Durham. Like RHP, Straight Talk is a transitional living residence, with a particular emphasis on rebuilding relationships between formerly incarcerated persons and their families and friends. Jimmy is grateful that the house has offered him food, shelter, warmth, and transportation, and he is particularly appreciative for the SWIT program. In short, the house has given him reason to hope; he was formerly homeless. He no longer feels like an “oddball,” and wants to feel like a full member of society. He looks forward to achieving independent living, and to no longer needing to commit crimes to support himself.
Jimmy is a certified literary Braille transcriber and an offset printer. While he would like a job that reflects his skills, he is willing to work at “just about anything.” His goal is to buy an RV and see the country, doing his Braille production work as he travels around. “I don’t want to be stationary,” he says. “I want to be able to do Braille a bit and fish a bit.”
As you can see, our residents have been through many challenges in their lives and are working hard to regain independence and self-confidence. With God's help and the support of RHP, these brave men and women are making a comeback.
**** July 4th Cookout for Orange Correctional ****
RHP in support of the annual July 4th cookout (actually happening on Tuesday, 7/11) Reentry house is providing the hamburgers and hot dogs (with buns) for this event for the 190 residents and staff and volunteers (about 250 in total), The Yokefellows Prison Ministry is the sponsor, and Alamance/Orange Prison Ministry is the organizer. We hope that this experience will support the ongoing work of the Chaplain (Josh LeRoy) and the Alamance/Orange Prison Ministry., out of which Reentry House Plus emerged in the beginning. We would welcome contributions to help defray the cost of this event (about $400). Thank you!