Our place is located in the Conroe, TX area, about 40 miles north of Houston, TX. We're here because being too close to a big city can cause more problems. An ex offender gets out of prison with nothing except wearing some old second hand clothes and $50 to begin life again with. If released during the winter months he doesn't even get a coat or jacket. We don't ask much from a resident but do str
ess that they live by our simple rules, have a desire to make it on their own and become a useful citizen again. An ex offender will be given every opportunity to succeed using our guidelines and Biblical standards. If these aren't followed they may be asked to leave. We want everyone staying here to feel part of a community that will prepare them for a successful transition into society. People always need another chance including the discarded and despised. One of my hero's from the Bible is the Good Samaritan. This compassionate man one day came across a man beat up on the side of the road that no one else was willing to help. He stopped in the middle of his journey, carried the injured man on his donkey to the next place of refuge. There he paid for the injured man's lodging and to have his injuries cared for. On top of that the Good Samaritan told the innkeeper on his way back that if there was anything else extra the injured man needed he would take care of it. These men were not named in the Bible but it was important enough to be included for future generations to read about. Here at MOVING ON UP MINISTRY housing is provided in the form of medium size travel trailers, complete with enough space and comfort to make a person feel like a normal human being. One resident stated he now felt like he was staying at the Hilton Hotel compared to the tiny cell where he once lived. We have limited on site employment available and/or transportation is furnished to employment within the growing town of Conroe, TX. We're also trying to build a wood working shop and a small engine/lawn mower repair shop to help residents build up experience. Already some good people have donated some wood working equipment and tools but we need a place to set these things up in. Trailer space is limited to a small number of men, 6 at the moment, to promote quicker transition. Guidance is provided when needed and everyone is encouraged to attend a church of their choice. It seems these days the media causes society and government to have little to do with ex offenders but all they really need is just a little help. Men that had no help prior or after release had a 50% chance of going back to prison while men who did get that help had a 5% chance of going back. We're trying to fill that gap. The goal is to make MOVING ON UP MINISTRY as self sufficient as possible with less dependency on the outside but it's hard and at this time help is still needed. A future goal is to have more land on which to provide more housing, skill training, people skills training, Biblical training and more. The prison system in Texas discharges up to 100 men per day and many have no idea where to go next. A large after care facility with enough space, enough staff, enough care is needed to really make a difference. A place like this will catch the attention of the media, the prison system and the public. The problem is big but the help needed has to be bigger!! The help is working though because all the men seen in our main page photo now have jobs and own cars and some have moved to their own places to live. This is some of the good news with more to follow.
