By John Keery

BRIDGES to New Life, the prison ministry started by Rob and Brenda Baskin 10 years ago, has officially moved to uptown Kelowna.

On April 4, Kelowna mayor Sharon Shepherd and Kelowna-Lake Country MP Ron Cannan cut the ribbon at the society’s newly-renovated storefront office and residence building on Sutherland Avenue. (See photo on page 1)

“Until now we have been invisible,” said Rob Baskin, who has been running Bridges from his house in Oyama. “This should change our operation significantly.”

Bridges is a Christian ministry which tries to help people coming out of jail reintegrate into society and avoid going back jail.

It works on the principle of restorative justice, which is the same as the biblical shalom, Baskin said.  

He quit his job as a carpenter with the school district in Vernon a decade ago, and started helping people coming out of jail. It has been a long, tough road building up a core of volunteers and financial support; but the number of people helped are impressive.

In the past year alone Bridges has had contact with 680 clients and had 70 volunteers. Bridges uses volunteers in mentoring and recreation programs to help former inmates adjust; it helps these people find jobs, and access available services in the community.

“Prison alienates people from society,” Baskin said. “Our main focus is aftercare, helping them connect with society again.”

Last year, when he and members of his board looked at the former Maria’s Hair Salon  building on Sutherland across from Capri Centre, they wondered how a society with no money could take on an $800,000 project.

“Would anyone sell to a society with a couple of thousand and no collateral?” Baskin wondered.

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They started a fundraising campaign, and it paid off – with more than a dozen foundations and local businesses coming to the plate with sizable donations, and hundreds of individuals making up the balance. In addition, much of the construction work was done by volunteers.

Money still needs to be raised; but they are well on their way. The new centre will house offices and a storefront  drop-in centre, with computers to help in job searches on the street level.

Upstairs is a five-bedroom residence where clients will be able to live for up to two years while they make the transition back into society.

The central location will make Bridges more visible and accessible and help broaden the base of support, Baskin hopes.

“Until now most people have seen this as Rob and Brenda’s ministry” he said. “With this, there should be enough momentum that the society takes on a life of its own.”

Getting the new building is the end of a decade-long journey for the Baskins and their supporters, said pastor Will Sohnchen of Evangel Church in Kelowna.

“It is a fulfillment of one part of the dream, but the beginning of another.”

Baskin said his main goal is to convince church people that they can and should make the effort to help people who have come out of prison.

“My job is to get people out of the pews, and involved in the lives of people who  have been incarcerated.”  

Bridges also works in Kamloops, Vernon and Cranbrook; associate Ron Short looks after things in the latter locale.

Baskin now spends a day and a half per week in Kamloops; he hopes to increase that to two and a half, once the new centre is running smoothly.  

May 2008