Greetings!

What a month August has been for Tangible Hope Ministries! With overwhelming prayer and financial support from Cards For Prisoners pen pals, local churches, and community partners, we have been busy! We have:

• Presented Tangible Hope’s new “My Journey In Reverse” event at the Lewis Walker Institute at WMU, where we premiered our new video about a 15-year-old incarcerated for 45 years before receiving a surprise parole hearing. (*See video link below). This was a two-hour event featuring a keynote speaker, a 14-year-old hip-hop artist, and a panel discussion with five individuals who have been affected by incarceration, ranging in age from 23 to 64.

• Introduced our new "Living Forward" program to returning citizens and others in the community desiring a change in their lives and a second chance. This is a twice-a-week, four-week class. We are also providing employment opportunities through a local agency that specializes in hiring individuals with barriers to employment.

• Presented the Kent County Juvenile Detention Center with $2500 of equipment to run their ESports program, as well as Uber/Uber Eats gift cards for prizes. This program offers kids in detention opportunities for college scholarships, as well as cash prizes.

• Presented the same items above to the Ottawa County Juvenile Detention Center and began working with them to run the ESports program at their facility.

• Provided prizes for games at a picnic we co-hosted at Johnson Park for returned citizens.

• Worked with the Kent County Correctional Facility to provide 100 bags of various hygiene items to pass out at their annual Golden Ticket event in Grand Rapids.

• Sponsoring Reach The Forgotten's five-hour Open Arms training program for 45 of their jail chaplains in Michigan (coming up in October). These chaplains, once trained, will begin Open Arms training in their own community.

We have a heart for the work, like Nehemiah and friends!

Tangible Hope Ministries will be sharing an update on Cards For Prisoners on Sunday, September 14th, at 10:00 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Holland, located at 659 State Street.

At First Presbyterian, their mission is "Worshipping, serving and living with a fresh vision of God's vibrant energy and grace for all."

We see that mission lived out through the many pen pals already committed to writing to those incarcerated through our Cards For Prisoners program.

Click the link below for more information.