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By Gladys Terichow
Mennonite Central Committee
BACKYARD barbecues hosted by Helmut and Dory Isaac are filled with laughter, fun and plenty of food. They also have special meaning for some participants.
"These are the kind of things you take for granted; but for some of us, this is a big deal," said Mark, a 29-year-old Saskatchewan man who committed 10 sexual offences before he was 14 years old.
He spent most of his youth in jail, and now lives in a group home for people who have a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) or other mental and emotional challenges. To help him break harmful patterns and adjust to independent living, he joined Forward Step, a faith-based restorative justice program started by the Saskatoon Community Chaplaincy in 2005 and supported by MCC Saskatchewan.
Forward Step supports ex-offenders through "being a sounding boarding, advocating on their behalf and reducing stress in their lives," said Helmut Isaac, an MCC worker who supports ex-offenders through the Forward Step and the Person to Person programs. "It is all about safety in the community. Whenever there is too much stress in their lives, that's when things go sideways. It's about friendship. It is not rocket science; it is just being a friend."
Mark was released from prison in 2004, and has not committed a sexual offence for 10 years. Forward Step, he said, gives him the opportunity to develop new friendships and talk about the things that he is experiencing in a safe environment. The weekly meetings and the ongoing support, he said, reduce stress in his life and give him new ideas on how to handle different situations.
Darren Friesen, chaplain of the Saskatoon Community Chaplaincy program, said he is frustrated that so many church congregations don't feel compelled to be more involved in the lives of ex-offenders and others who are marginalized by society. "I believe God wants to work through people," he said. "The church as a whole is not engaged in these needs. It is time for churches in North America to do what God wants us to do: love people. You don't need a degree in theology to know that we are created to love people."
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 | | Mark (back to camera), a participant in the Forward Step program, meets with Darren Friesen (left) and the coordinator of MCC
Saskatchewan's Restorative Justice program, Ken Landis Funk. Photo by Joanie Peters. |
Mark was adopted when he was two years old. "I grew up in a great home," he said, explaining he has maintained contact with his adopted father; but the last contact was about four to five years ago. "I would like more contact with him. I would like to be part of a happy family again," he said.
His immediate goal in life is to get a job like moving and stacking boxes. "It is a job I enjoy doing," he said. A longer term goal is to become a trained and qualified fork lift operator.
He is optimistic that the support he receives from people involved in Forward Step, Community Chaplaincy and programs for people with FASD will help him achieve these goals.
January 10/2008
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