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Catholic Charities helps former prisoners get back on their feet

Elizabeth A. Elliott | Catholic Herald Staff Writer

Daniel Stendeback holds a card that is part of the Catholic Charities backpack program the day after his release from jail. ELIZABETH A. ELLIOTT | CATHOLIC CHARITIES

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 Dan Stendeback should be living the American dream right
now, but addiction got the better of him.

“I made a lot of mistakes that led me now to have a criminal
record, and caused damage to relationships with my family and kids,” he said.
“My priorities are my sobriety — without that I have nothing and I will lose
everything again; my girls, my family; and the material things like jobs and a
place to live.”

Arlington diocesan Catholic Charities is trying to help ex-offenders, like Stendeback, as part of their Welcome Home Re-Entry Program. Stendeback
became the program’s first client after being released from the Fairfax Adult
Detention Center Oct. 11. Dave Druitt, his mentor, got him involved in the
pilot program “for people who want to go into a sober living house,” said
Stendeback. “It was already something that I had planned on doing. Having
limited resources (after) getting out of jail, it seemed prudent to take
advantage of the sponsorship opportunity to get back on my feet.”

Catholic Charities is working with Oxford House, a sober
living program, to house people when they get out of jail. Stendeback finds
living at Oxford House helpful.

“Helping somebody else stay sober and helping somebody else
do good is helping me stay sober,” he said. “I want to be someone who proved to
other people that even the best of us fall down and some of us fall down really
hard, but it’s about getting up and not falling down again, learning and moving
forward.”

Sally O’Dwyer, director of volunteers for Catholic
Charities, said the agency has been serving inmates inside the jails for years,
but when people leave jail there are very few resources for them.

“One of the biggest problems is recidivism because people go
back to their communities and … that is where they got in trouble in the first
place,” O’Dwyer said. “We want to offer some initial stable housing to get them
on their feet, and mentoring. I think the mentoring is important because a lot
of people just need that initial support.”

 

Arlington Bishop Michael F. Burbidge expressed his gratitude
for the program.

“I am most grateful to those associated with Catholic
Charities for their commitment to help ex-offenders reintegrate into society,
showing them God’s mercy firsthand,” said Bishop Burbidge in a statement. “In
the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells the disciples that He is found in the poor,
the stranger, the thirsty, the naked, the hungry and the imprisoned. Our desire
to help prisoners re-enter society, make amends for their past, and pave a
positive and productive future is in response to the call of Jesus upon whose
grace we will rely.”

Many ex-offenders have limited resources upon their
release and Catholic Charities provides them a backpack filled with toiletries,
snacks and other needed items. O’Dwyer said Catholic Charities gave out more
than 100 backpacks in the last fiscal year. The bags also include handwritten
welcome notes, religious materials and a gift card. Funded by diocesan parishes,
the backpacks have been distributed to those leaving jail in Loudoun, Fairfax
and Prince William counties.  

The returning citizens are assigned a trained mentor to help
with different areas such as housing, transportation, employment and how to
stay sober. O’Dwyer said 10 mentors have been trained, but they are in need of
more. Mentors will work with individuals and determine their needs, but Catholic
Charities wants to have a team approach.

“Once the mentor is able to find out what the needs are, we try
and work as a team to identify resources to help the mentor to be successful by
stepping in when needed,” said O’Dwyer.

Connecting the ex-offender with a faith component also
is important. The program will help them get to a church meeting or service of
their choice to encourage that development of their faith.

Stendeback has found hope in the program.

“Having people really look out for me has given me hope that
no matter what the circumstances, there is always an answer if you’re willing
to look for it,” he said.  

For more information on how the Diocese of Arlington is
observing World Day of the Poor Nov. 19, go to arlingtondiocese.org/2017worlddayofthepoor.

Learn more

When Prisoners Come Home: Understanding the challenges
faced by those leaving jail and endeavoring to re-enter the community, guest
speaker Kenneth Fails, a former prisoner. Chapel at St. John Neumann Church,
11900 Lawyers Rd., Reston, 7-9 p.m., Nov. 15.

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