Thank you for staying connected with Prison Fellowship as we seek justice, love mercy, and restore hope together!
As you know, we love to celebrate transformation stories. I want to make sure you didn’t miss this one—my colleague Stephanie’s story.
When Stephanie was released from South Boise Women’s Correctional Center, shame and doubt flooded her mind: You’re a felon, a failure, a drug addict. What makes you think you will ever be different?
She was determined to stay sober, but Stephanie’s reentry journey was off to a rough start. Due to a housing shortage, she had no place to live. She had no money. She didn’t even know her Social Security number.
In Celebrate Recovery, Stephanie found a safe and welcoming space to explore faith in God.
Over time, Stephanie came to know the real Jesus. She surrendered her life to Him and began studying His Word. Surrounded by support, she left old habits behind and experienced true healing.
After her release, Stephanie found a trauma-informed therapist with help from her parole officer. She learned about the effects of trauma on the mind and body, and gained tools to regulate her nervous system. Her faith anchored her as she processed difficult experiences and built resilience.
Fast forward to today, and Stephanie’s story has come full circle. She has held full-time roles with the department of corrections, working in the same prisons and parole offices where she was previously in custody. She’s worked alongside officers who once supervised her. Now, she is on staff with Prison Fellowship as a director of correctional programs in the northwest. You can read even more of her amazing story here.
For Stephanie, redemption looks like giving back. She stays involved with Celebrate Recovery, coming alongside other women with stories much like hers. People in Celebrate Recovery know the beauty of overcoming life’s challenges and becoming leaders—and part of that beautiful journey is giving back.
Did you know that Celebrate Recovery chapters all over the country participate in Prison Fellowship Angel Tree? These chapters sign up their churches to bless children of incarcerated parents every Christmas with a gift and a personal message from their mom or dad. If you are part of Celebrate Recovery, sign up your chapter’s church today.
Angel Tree is one of my family’s favorite Christmas traditions. I hope you’ll join us to help make Angel Tree possible. We’re aiming to serve more than 270,000 children across all 50 states this Christmas! Moms and dads in prison have already been signing up, and many churches have already registered to deliver gifts to local children on their parents’ behalf.
Your prayers and support can truly make a difference. Thank you! If you have any prayer needs, please let us know. We would love to be praying for you.
Serving Him with you,
HEATHER RICE-MINUS President and CEO
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