Young mothers in prison due to drugs and alcohol addiction.
In 2008 I made my first visit to a women’s prison with a friend of mine. She would go to the local prison on a regular basis to talk with the women and conduct a short Bible study.
After leaving the prison that day, we talked about the limited options these women have when they’re released – VERY limited options for sure! It was really sad. Just even getting an ID, which they don’t have when they leave. It is almost next to impossible for them to get a job with a felony on their record. So many unbelievable hurdles just to restart their lives. We talked about what we could do to help them, not just in the short term, but long term to achieve a sustainable life for them and their children.
The journey to starting a non-profit is exceptionally long, difficult, time-consuming and expensive. However, I feel extremely blessed to have had a part in starting this program call Passages, Women's Transitional Living. Passages is focused on helping “broken” women learn life skills that help them in the long run to have a healthy life and to be better moms.
Passages opened its doors in April 2013 to receive the first women coming out of prison with nothing but (maybe) hope. It has had amazing success in helping over 400 women since that time being financed strictly by donations and non-government grants.
On July 1, 2021, Passages Women’s Transitional Living held a groundbreaking ceremony for their new $1.25 million facility called Passages Place. Passages accepts no government funding but is financed strictly through donations and grants. In this effort, Passages has raised more than $774,000 in cash through grants and pledges.
This new “home” will help women transition from incarceration or homelessness to a life of meaning and independence through guidance, counseling, and Bible study.
This faith-based program was established to meet the growing demand to provide sustainable help for women who turned to drugs or alcohol to cover the pain they felt for years as a result of childhood abuse – both sexual and physical.
The need for such help for women has been ever-growing across the nation for the past few decades. As the population has grown so has the incidents of abuse resulting in additions to drugs and alcohol. Such facilities have fallen far behind in meeting the growing need.
This new facility will provide bedrooms, classrooms, meeting rooms, a large kitchen, and offices.
Graduates of the program attribute their success with sobriety to the support and learned skills they gained from the well-organized Passages program. So many of the women say that prior to attending the program, they lived in shame because of the repercussions of their addition. Through the program, they learn to set healthy boundaries and make decisions based on a clear-minded thought process and not an emotional reaction as in the past.
The groundbreaking was attended by Passage staff, board members, the city Mayor, and local businesses. The new facility should be open and operational between 6-8 months.
Phleaz continues to donate a portion of our proceeds to the Passages Program. We feel honored to be able to continue to make a difference in the lives of these women and their children.
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