A Holiday Message from Adam:
I wish I could have brought each of you to the Christmas celebration hosted by one of our Chilliwack-area team members and his wife. What was so impactful was that, after an incredible meal, we had a time of sharing. Each of the men who had received Better Life support spoke about how it has been a life-changer for them. In fact, men were phoning into the event because they wanted to share their stories and express their gratitude for the support they had received. As I prepare online reintegration training for our faith communities, I recognize how complex the work of reintegration can be. There are many important details that need to be kept in mind. However, at times, I’m overwhelmed by the simplicity. As I listened to men share stories about how their lives had been impacted through the support of a Better Life team member, what was mentioned most of all was the consistency: "You were there for me." "You kept showing up." "Your actions convinced me that you cared and that, because you cared, I mattered." As the larger Better Life community, let me say thank you. I am deeply grateful for your support and for how investing in ‘the least of these’ can make an invaluable difference in supporting offenders to become valued and contributing members of our society. Thank you for joining us in our mission of "Eradicating Recidivism, one life at a time." Merry Christmas and all God’s best to you and yours for 2022!
Adam Wiggins
General Director
Message from the Better Life Integration & Support Society Board of Directors
This has been a challenging year for our Society, yet we have continued to see wonderful results as men and women are being integrated back into our communities successfully. This success has been due to the staff and volunteers that God has led into this ministry. Everyone has been used mightily in this work. We would especially like to thank Adam Wiggins, our General Director, who has been inspired in his work with the Society. He took over at a critical time and has led us through some difficult and frustrating times. In spite of these challenges, Better Life has continued to grow in size and impact. One specific challenge has been the delays in our bid to reacquire our current contract with the Correctional Service of Canada. This contract is our greatest source of funding and also gives us access to the bulk of our contact with inmates in federal custody. The delay in our bid being assessed has hampered our ability to develop the necessary initiatives to be better equipped and to stabilize our resources into the future. Our existing contract was extended time and time again with no increase in our revenue and with no indication of the final decision. We recently were notified that no one was awarded the contract and that another submission will be required. Please pray that the new bid, currently being prepared, will be successful and that our resources will continue to grow. To all our staff and volunteers, may God bless you and your families. Thank you for your dedication and efforts in assisting the marginalized groups we support. Merry Christmas and may you have a Happy and Rewarding New Year.
Blessings,
John Webber
Chairman, Board of Directors.
Comments