Changing Perspectives: How Community and Connection Overcome Fear

Changing Perspectives: How Community and Connection Overcome Fear

Just this week, I was reminded of exactly why the Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministry (TPOM) continues its work with the incarcerated in our state and with those who enter our holistic reentry program upon release. Charles (pictured above), a graduate of the TPOM program, is now a vital member of my staff, serving as our Facilities Manager. In his role, Charles takes excellent care of our campus property, manages ground maintenance, and handles the upkeep of all TPOM vehicles. He is a testament to what leadership and opportunity can look like.

Blessings in the Backyard

Recently, I received a picture of two of our male residents who, under Charles’s leadership, were out providing lawn care for our neighbors. But it doesn’t stop there. Our residents have been spotted all over the neighborhood spreading mulch, mowing grass, cleaning up yards, and cutting and stacking wood for a neighbor’s fireplace. Recently, a team of both our male and female residents even came together to build a deck.

It is a profound blessing to see our residents and graduates so eager to give back to the community. In fact, as the Morgan House nears completion, I am vividly reminded of how we acquired that property in the first place. It became ours because our residents simply wanted to help an elderly neighbor with her yard work and build a wheelchair ramp for her.

From Fear to Gratitude

This spirit of service has the power to shatter long-held stereotypes. A number of years ago, a woman in the community called me, deeply concerned because our male residents walked past her house to catch the Metro bus for work. She made sure to let me know that she kept a gun by her bedside, obviously terrified that these men who had spent time in prison would break into her home and cause her harm.

Not long after that phone call, that very same woman walked through the doors of TPOM—not to complain, but to express her overwhelming thankfulness. She shared that her elderly mother had fallen in the yard and begun screaming for help. Hearing her cries, several of our residents came running, jumped the fence, assisted her mother, and brought her safely back into the home. After sharing her gratitude, she made a donation to the ministry.

Proving a Different Perspective

The stories I share are powerful testaments to our residents giving to others as they themselves have been blessed. When your worldview of the incarcerated is shaped entirely by Hollywood or the nightly news, it is easy to feel jaded, cynical, and fearful of anyone with a prison record. But when you see our residents personally—living productive lives and eager to bless the lives of those around them—it provides an entirely different perspective.

This serves as a beautiful reminder that all of us carry worldviews, prejudices, and distortions about various groups of people based on what we read or hear. It is only when we meet people personally, and truly get to know them, that our hearts can change. This is what it truly means to be in community.