Riverside House offers a residential reentry program that assists men and women convicted of crimes by guiding them into a stronger spiritual life and the confidence to keep strong. Several of our clients at Riverside House have experienced great blessings as a result of coming here.
Life before Riverside House was chaotic for *Raymond Pena. Before entering our program, he stated that he was living an unrealistic life. However, he is optimistic about the future. Raymond recently spoke with one of our administrators about his experience at Riverside House. Although he has only been here for approximately one month, he told us that has benefited greatly from the things that Riverside House offers. After he is released from the BOP and our residential reentry program, he anticipates that he will be a more family oriented person and feels confident that he will have the tools to be successful.
In his testimony Raymond expressed that one of the top contributors to his transition have been the Life Skills classes taught by the chaplains. He stated that the classes are very inspirational and reinforce the importance of one’s focus. He believes that combination of the life skills classes and the substance abuse classes have given him the direction that he needed. Furthermore, he has seen the benefit of the lessons being implemented in the lives of many of the clients currently at Riverside House.
Raymond also talked about his satisfaction with the staff at the facility. He noted that he was very surprised that he was able to communicate with the COO of Riverside House and that she actively listened to his concerns. He was also complimentary of his case manager for operating in a vital role in fully explaining his current situation and in giving him several options on how to handle adversity.
Throughout the interview with our administrator, Raymond made it a point to say that the Riverside House has an environment that is conducive to successful transition and Christ-like compassion. There are three benefits that stand out in his mind thus far about Riverside House. The first is the atmosphere such as the gardening. Secondly, he said that the staff are understanding and have great listening skills. Lastly, he stated that the chaplains have assisted him with clothing, hygiene products, and moral/ spiritual support. As a result, Raymond feels that he is on the right track and is looking forward to the things that are to come.
*Name has been changed to protect the identify of the individual.
