Dear Supporters, Brethren and Friends,
Another year in the books. This will complete the 21st year of teaching in the prisons and the 19th year of working with men after release.
Many of you may not know or remember this, but I worked in the dairy industry – that’s right – cows, for about 20 years before doing full time ministry in the kingdom. It seems like a lifetime ago. I do miss the cows sometimes, especially in the cooler, drier times of the year. For ten of those years, I consulted with large dairy farms mostly in the southeast. We worked with farmers to better feed and manage their herds. I didn’t know then, but those years really helped prepare me for much of what I do now. Those years of being in the secular workforce were a real blessing to me in many ways.
For example, let’s look at housing for the men after release. First, I have a spreadsheet that I use to help me project over a few years when men might be coming to our program after prison. Most men have a release date that can be calculated years before they get released assuming they will get all their gain time for good behavior. Ideally, I have that long to get to know a man before he comes. Sometimes unique situations arise that suddenly change release dates causing men to be released much sooner or later. For instance, two weeks ago a brother that I have been working with for a couple of years was picked up by another state on previous charges just two days before his release. We had a room and a car allotted for him, but now he will not be coming until some point in the future. Add to that uncertainty, that on occasion I will meet a man late into his sentence, but he shows himself to be a good candidate for the program, so we offer him a spot. Projections get turned upside down in those cases. Flexibility and resourcefulness help in these situations.
Missy and I own one of the transition houses and the ministry owns the other. The ministry has been renting an additional property for the last year for men to live in after they have completed our program or need to move out to make space for the next man being released. I just signed a lease for a second rental property to be used for the same purpose. We have been adding these rental units because of the high cost and lack of access to housing for men with felony records (most apartment complexes and even private landlords will not accept men with recent felonies). Move in costs typically run between $4,500 to $5,500 for these rentals. Rent is between $1,200 and $1,800 per month for two- or three-bedroom houses or mobile homes. The only other choice men have is to rent a room from someone at a cost of about $700 per month. Even though renting a room is usually cheaper, the felony restrictions can still be an issue. Renting a room from a stranger is not always a positive step because there is no control of who you live around. So, managing housing availability, and repairs and maintenance on the four places we are responsible for requires dexterity and experience in a wide range of issues.
Additionally, the ministry currently owns eight cars. The ministry maintains the insurance and covers all repairs on the cars. Many of the cars we own have been donated, but we have purchased a few ourselves. We typically receive and purchase high mileage cars, so they need regular repairs as well as normal maintenance. We often have one or two cars, currently four, that are not being driven because of lack of need, or repair work being done. It seems like we have an excessive number of cars, but managing who is getting out when, will they be able to secure their driver license, who will be leaving and buying their own car, who will be leaving but still needs us to provide a car, and how many cars will be available to drive at any given time is at best a juggling act.
These challenges remind me of making sure the 1,000 cows at the dairy got milked three times a day, fed three to five times a day, had their health needs met when required, and all the people and equipment to accomplish these tasks were working and available. Now I remember why I left the dairy!
These practical matters should never outweigh the spiritual purpose that is always at the foremost, but they must be managed to accomplish our goals and especially, so I am found to be a good steward of the gifts God has given us through the generosity of so many of you and others. I can, after all of these years later, see God’s hand in preparing me for this task.
Finally, from my last report, we have raised about $12,000 of the $18,000 needed to pay for Pando Channel for one year. That covers us through May. The current stats are listed below. Viewership and subscribers continue to grow. Thank you to everyone who has given in support of this effort.
Daryl Townsend