My Nonprofit Reviews

I direct a Wings Ministry affiliate in Warren County, TN. We have a partnership with three elementary schools to do Wings for L.I.F.E. classes every other week for children of prisoners. The children love it and they learn a lot! One mother sent us the following letter of thanks that shows how her fifth grade son became a mentor for his whole family after serving as a leader of a small group for 2 years in our Wings class.
Dear WINGS:
My family and I had never experienced such an overwhelming change in life style as we experienced when a member of our immediate family was incarcerated. We did not know anything about the court system or child services and the children and I were immediately alienated from one half of the extended family that my husband and I once shared and that we had trusted for seventeen years. We had to attend many court dates and we were exhausted from the legal battle that had been placed upon us by his crimes. The emotional stress, as well as the financial stress was almost unbearable. This was the crucial time when WINGS first became a part of my son’s life, and soon thereafter, my other four children and myself. My pride prohibited me from attending the family meetings for sometime, but inevitably I was convicted by the change of heart and mind that WINGS was able to nurture in my son with the weekly meeting at school. In essence, he had not only become much more capable of dealing with his own insecurities but had become an effective role model to his younger two siblings and our household as a whole. My son was an inspiration to me and we got involved as a family. We began attending the family meetings held at Bobby Ray and also events held at local entertainment and churches. This provided us with a support activity that was not only emotionally rehabilitating but also a form of entertainment for my children and I that we would have not been able to otherwise afford. We were able to connect with other folks that had been through and continuing to struggle with the same types of issues and also have the opportunity to help out which is very rewarding. The WINGS program works where many others fail because it never made us feel like a “charity case”. It is an experience that not only changes the prospective, the self-image, the expectations, and the motivations of a person’s own will, but also offers a means of filing away the memories and emotional trials by building self discipline, respect for yourself and others, and the ability to turn bad things into new found strengths in a fun way! Thank you so much for your school program and thank you for all the valuable survival skills that we have picked up just from hanging out with you all! I will always hold your efforts close to my heart.
Sincerely,
Angela

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