Partners, Team Members and Friends of Damascus Way:

I pray these words find you in great health and spirits. My name is Kevin Saunders, I have the amazing blessing of working with individuals who have been through extreme trauma yet have such hunger and zeal for life that it causes me to wonder, why am I worthy?

Looking back over my life and all that I have experienced, I now recognize God himself has been weaving a perfect plan and mission for me to serve him. I have not always been willing, often rebellious, but here I am now at this fascinating crossroads of humanity. I joined Damascus Way intent on impacting lives in some way. Let me share with you that here at Damascus Way, I have been forever transformed for the better.

From the outside it may be easy for some to conclude that the men we serve at Damascus Way deserve the punishment of incarceration for the crimes committed in their past. More than often it takes a closer look at the circumstances to come close to knowing what really happened. For the sake of this piece I’d like to submit that at the end of the day it’s still somebody’s son, brother, father, uncle, or cousin who has been numbered, tagged, and identified as somehow less than human. That’s where my joy in this work begins! God allows me to see a human being who is deserving of being treated with dignity, respect, compassion, and most definitely as a Man. I get to be my brother’s keeper. Sure, sometimes it’s just a short engagement of encouragement. Other times it’s a short ride to the pharmacy so the brother can pick up needed medicine.

I have countless examples of individuals who demonstrate gratitude and humility for small gestures of acknowledgement. There are stories of unthinkable perseverance and resiliency. If society only understood the lengths to which the system of incarceration has pressed to literally take the will and desire of so many away, our sense of urgency on this matter would undoubtedly shift.

Working at Damascus Way has been a most fulfilling opportunity. Each day I see individuals advancing their dreams and ambitions by slowly redefining themselves. The most important point I care to make here is this – Families have been broken, fathers disconnected from their sons, wives from their husbands. We can dismiss these individuals if that’s our choice. However, please pause and consider how you might become a part of the solution. How might you share resources, experience, connections, even your time?

Support Damascus Way today, you’ll be amazed by how someone’s life might be impacted by you.

Kevin Saunders

Senior Director

Programs & Contractual Operations