Breaking The Cycle with Good Shepherd Ministries
For many criminals coming out of prison, it's hard to get back on their feet. It's harder still for their families and children to lead a normal life. But for the efforts of one area charity, many of Dayton's formerly-incarcerated are getting a better shot at a new and productive life.
Breaking The Cycle with Good Shepherd Ministries
For many criminals coming out of prison, it's hard to get back on their feet. It's harder still for their families and children to lead a normal life. But for the efforts of one area charity, many of Dayton's formerly-incarcerated are getting a better shot at a new and productive life.Founder Dale Nieberding says his faith-based group, Good Shepherd Ministries, seeks to help them – and their families – get out of what can often become an inter-generational cycle of violence and incarceration.
The group has four apartments, and about 40 residents a year who it helps get the life skills they need to break the cycle.
Dayton Local: What services does Good Shepherd Ministries offer?
Dale Nieberding: "We offer housing, a bible-study, food, furniture, clothing, job coaching and referrals. We also offer to our house residents one-on-one counseling."
"We're Christian based and the organization is designed to help get people to God. They might do a reading each day or a bible study, based on the 12 steps called the life recovery bible, and they have to write a reflection and an action statement. They have to go to AA meetings, thinking skill and read a book on men dealing with sexual temptation."
DL: How did you get the group started?
DN: "It started after I met Mother Teresa personally several times in New York. I was inspired to do the same, so I sold my business and started a halfway house."
DL: What has the need been in Dayton?
DN: "It's a much needed service, they're definitely underdogs. They aren't allowed to have some jobs if they have a felony on their record. It's just one of the rules of society. The City of Dayton used to not even allow ex-offenders to get hired, though they do now."
"I'm not saying we should put an embezzler in the finance department, that would be ludicrous. But how are these people going to get off their feet if no one will hire them? They have a very difficult road to cultivate."
"The average person coming out of incarceration owes $20,000 in taxes, 50 percent have a sixth-grade reading level. They have children's skills with adult responsibilities; in essence, they are adults with the emotional capability of a teenager. They have high rates of abuse. They often grew up in dysfunctional families."
"The government knows the children of people incarcerated are the most at risk children in America. They are seven times more likely of going to prison themselves because their parents are in there. If their parents are role modeling dysfunctional behavior, the kids think it is normal. The prison system is often generational, a whole family system is messed up and it just keeps repeating."
DL: How can people help?
DN: "We recently bought a $500,000 building for $12,500, it has a brand new roof on it and it's structurally sound, and we're renovating it to create a thrift store for sustained ministry income and jobs for our clients. We're looking for volunteers to help us renovate, all skill levels and any kind of group."
"We're faith-based. We got a house next to our halfway house that was worth $45,000 …. For $1,300. If you gave me a dollar and, the Lord turned it into 30. God gives good returns."
"We're also looking for refrigerators, stoves, industrial carpeting, and some plumbing work … all of the things in our facilities are donated. It's the way we operate."
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