Join us for a Simple Lenten Meal in the North Conference Room on Friday, March 23, organized by the Cathedral Young Adults to benefit Prison Outreach Ministry immediately after the 6pm Stations of the Cross. All are welcome for all or any part of this evening of prayer, fellowship and almsgiving.
Simple Lenten Meals
We serve Simple Lenten Meals in the North Conference Room on the Friday evenings of Lent, following the 6pm Stations of the Cross. Join us for the sustenance of food and fellowship! Each Friday a different parish group organizes the meal and donations are collected to benefit a different community-based organization in Washington, DC. On March 23, the Young Adults will organize the meal and the beneficiary will be Prison Outreach Ministry and its "Welcome Home Reentry Program" whose volunteer mentors help to successfully reintegrate incarcerated men and women returning to the community by providing one-on-one spiritual, moral, and practical support including education, employment, housing, and social services assistance.
The speaker will be Sister Susan Van Baalen, O.P., Executive Director, who with a partner mentee will discuss both the success stories and personal challenges of this unique church-based program. Consider spending your early Friday evening with St. Matthew's family and friends--come for the 5:30pm Mass, 6pm Stations of the Cross and end with a shared meal and this great opportunity of almsgiving to Prison Outreach Ministry.
Prison Outreach Ministry Mission
"The Prison Outreach Ministry and its Welcome Home Reentry Program live the Gospel Mandate to serve men and women returning to their communities after incarceration. We seek to reduce recidivism, educate the community and develop strong systems of support, by building relationships and by matching returning individuals with compassionate volunteer mentors from communities of faith and civic organizations."
Welcome Home Reentry Program - The Challenge
"In a twelve-month period, numerous men and women return home toWashingtonD.C.,MontgomeryCountyand Prince George's County after being released from incarceration.
Most of these individuals will face a variety of barriers and have great difficulty managing the most basic necessities for successful reintegration-reconnecting with jobs, housing, and their families, as well as gaining access to needed substance abuse and health care treatment.
Many newly released individuals are estranged from family and friends because of problems related to extended substance abuse and end up living in homeless shelters or boarding house rooms devoid of established familial support.
Because the navigation of services can be complex and the wide-array of needs can be mutually related and dependent (i.e. can't obtain a job without proper credentials - can't obtain proper credentials without a place to live), individuals returning to the community need successful community members to help guide them and navigate the social service system."
Volunteer mentors of the Welcome Home Reentry Program serve those most in need and stigmatized by society, encouraging them to lead meaningful and productive lives. To learn more about Prison Outreach Ministry, please visit www.prisonoutreachministry.org.