Let me tell you about a story of love, hope, dedication and commitment. Five years ago six men had an idea of improving life for people who had met with discouragement by being homeless, incarcerated, expelled from their neighborhood schools, children who had experienced an absentee father, alcoholism, addiction and abuse. Society has been approaching this phenomenon for as long as I can remember. Our direction to resolve these issues in the past has only created a well known cyclical occurrence of recidivism by not breaking this cycle of life stigmas attached to people in the circle. This situation is compelling enough for communities to logically develop a new roadmap to success. The conditions clearly add variables to the afflicted that are similar and outcomes from these variables are predictable. It is long overdue that the methodology of implementation for those individuals caught up in the cyclical inclusion of a dysfunctional life. From this obvious evidence of unsuccessful outcomes the brain trust of the small group sat out to find a way to break the cycle and establish a foundation which leads to a better life for these afflicted people.At the grassroots start in 2015, it was the intentional goal to follow a meaningful mission attached to a nonprofit organization. To incorporate a nonprofit required hours of work with people devoted to legal compliance, services by servant leaders, reasonable budget for start/up, create a board of directors, recruit volunteer mentors, programs with identifiable curriculum as related to qualified participants being served, creating partnership with other organizations providing care for our potential participants in our programs and establishing an efficient financial, compliant , service business organization. From these days came patience and commitment by Mentors of Bethany In America the birth of services at the local jail, open door mission and a street school. These beginnings for our board of directors and volunteers had no real conceptualization of how needed an organization like this would be complimentary to other services to attack past recidivism into actual life preserving skills for family, community, faith and health. Changing a negative path of life doesn’t have to be a punitive experience. This story didn’t end upon the current services. Mentors of Bethany In America has continued to expand into new spaces of need. By May of 2021, Mentors of Bethany In America has expanded into six sites and have others to consider. Their outreach has been recognized by local communities, county organizations and state support.
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AuthorDr. Gary Carlson is a long time educator who has dedicated much of his professional life to serving and helping people in need. His knowledge and wisdom has been a blessing from the experiences he has been given through the Holy Spirit.. Archives
May 2022
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