Extended Family is fortunate to be partnering with several other
agencies to offer services and support to men returning from
incarceration to Cherokee, Etowah, and DeKalb counties.  Many of these
men have lost connections with family and friends during their time away
and come back to find themselves without homes, jobs, transportation,
medical care, clothing, and even food.  Extended Success for Life (ESL)
is built around the theme, “Dream, Learn, Live,” and is filled with
lessons that will help returning citizens (RCs) set goals and achieve
them.  But, before they can learn, our RCs must first have their basic
necessities provided.
One of our partners, Marked for Life Ministries in DeKalb County,
recently contacted Extended Success for Life Reentry Coordinator Jerry
Clemons for help with a man who had returned from incarceration and was
homeless and needed transportation to Birmingham, Alabama for alcohol
detoxification.  Jerry agreed to take him to the treatment center, and
during the intake exam, the staff grew concerned about the man’s
health and transported him to a nearby hospital, where he was admitted
to ICU with pneumonia.
The man reached out to Jerry from the hospital and thanked him for the
ride and said he believed that, had it not been for the help of ESL and
our partners, he would have died with pneumonia in the woods.  He is now
doing better and is receiving the help he needs.  Jerry has arranged
with him to begin the ESL program if he returns to this area after
treatment.
Extended Success for Life is a solutions-based program to help men
released from prison successfully return to their communities and
families.  The lessons taught during the twenty-week series focus on
building healthy relationships with family and friends, gaining the
skills necessary to apply, interview, and be hired for the job they
want, and living each day making good choices that will not get them
into trouble.  Our goals are to reduce the rate of recidivism and break
the cycle of incarceration in families.
Extended Success for Life is an important part of our “whole family”
approach to helping those dealing with incarceration.  Serving returning
citizens is fulfilling our mission, “To offer help and inspire
hope,” on individual at a time.  For more information about Extended
Family programs, visit our website, www.extendedfamilyhelp.org [1].  For
additional details or assistance through our Extended Success for Life
program, email Jerry@extendedfamilyhelp.org.