The Basics
Founded in 2004 in Providence, Rhode Island by Reverend Dr. Joyce Penfield, The Blessing Way is a social services agency, which provides faith-based transitional living for a small number of criminal justice clients. The facility’s name is taken from blessingway, a spiritual Navajo ritual, which is used to incite benedictions and avert bad luck. The Blessing Way encourages clients to pursue whichever faith works for them, including Buddhism, Christianity and Native American practices.
Accommodations and Amenities
Four men and four women reside in separate houses, in different locations. At the men’s house, clients share double-occupancy rooms. The woman’s house is a small white cottage with a private backyard. If there are three clients, one resident will have her own room. Typically, this room is given to the client with the most seniority. The house has a spacious fully equipped kitchen with modern appliances.
At The Blessing Way, all residents are responsible for their own groceries. Typically, they qualify for food stamps. The Blessing Way also partners with a local pantry and receives food donations. Clients prepare their own meals. Amenities include Cable TV, washer, dryer, landline phone and utilities. Smoking is permitted in outside designated areas at both homes. Residential managers, who also serve as mentors, live on site and provide around the clock supervision.
Rules and Regulations
Admittance criteria are strict for new residents. A client must have been incarcerated at the state prison in Rhode Island or have undergone primary care for substance abuse at the Providence Center. The minimum length of stay is 90 days. Methadone and Suboxone are forbidden. Certain prescribed psychotropic medications are allowed with the permission of the house manager.
During the first two days, clients undergo a black out period and are not allowed to leave the premises. The curfew is 6 pm for the first three weeks, and after that, the curfew is 10 pm, seven days a week. Curfew violations are reported immediately to parole or probation officers. Within the first two weeks, clients develop relocation and financial plans. The relocation plan includes their housing goals after they leave the program. The financial plan is monitored on a weekly basis, and includes budgeting. At The Blessing Way, random drug and alcohol screenings are conducted. A zero tolerance policy is practiced. Relapsed clients are immediately evicted from the premises.
Requirements for residents include performing household chores, creating a daily timeline with an activity plan, being at the house meeting, working or volunteering between 20 and 30 hours weekly, completing an employment preparation tutorial from 1 pm to 4 pm on Mondays, participating at a Life skills peer support class and meditation group from 5 pm to 8 pm Wednesdays. On a weekly basis, clients must attend two Bible studies and two 12-step meetings or four 12-step meetings. Additionally, they must attend services at a local worship center of their choice.
Extras
At the Blessing Way, other services besides housing include case management, mentoring and recovery coaching. The on-site life skills peer support class covers topics which include anger management, conflict resolution, boundaries, money management, goal setting, healthy relationships, job etiquette, communication skills, problem solving and finding balance. In addition to clients, the class is open to individuals needing help.
In Summary
The Blessing Way offers comprehensive services at an affordable price. While they emphasize a faith-based protocol, they allow clients an option to choose their own places of worship, be it a Mosque, a Native American ceremony or a church. This is a pretty unique program and for potential clients, whose criteria fit admission requirements, The Blessing Way is truly a godsend worth checking out.
The Blessing Way
70 Pemberton St
Providence, RI 02908
The Blessing Way Cost: $440 (30 days). Reach The Blessing Way by phone at (401) 270-7816 or by email at blessingwayinfo@yahoo.com. Find The Blessing Way on Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn
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Photo courtesy of Daniel Case at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (https://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons (resized and cropped).
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