Family members of formerly
incarcerated get needed support
By Nelson A. King
The organizations Circle
of Support and Raising My
Voice (RMV)-KIN at St. Paul’s
Church in the Village of Flatbush,
Brooklyn are making “a
massive impact” in the community,
according to Carlyn D.
Green-Christie, an RMV-KIN
coach.
Green-Christie told Caribbean
Life that the church,
under the rectorship of the
Rev. Sheldon N. N. Hamblin,
a Barbadian, is making a huge
difference in the lives of family
members of the formerly
incarcerated.
She said raising My Voice-
KIN is a training program, in
its ninth cycle, which “provides
the incarcerated and
family members of the formerly
incarcerated with the
tools to become leaders and
share their past experiences,
which will shape their futures.”
St. Paul’s Church is now in its
third cycle.
Green-Christie said that St.
Paul’s first partnership with
Circles of Support, a non-profit
that serves formerly incarcerated,
was in January 2019.
She said the program is
funded by J.C. Flowers Foundation,
Caribbean L 30 ife, March 13-19, 2020
with private equity investor
and Episcopalian James
Christopher Flowers serving as
benefactor and chief executive
officer.
“Our community is constantly
evolving, but dealing
with the incarcerated and
those experiencing re-entry
has created dynamic conversation
of inquiry of the judicial
systems, with the scales most
of the time not balanced,”
Green-Christie said.
“Thus, Rev. Hamblin’s
awareness of social injustices
plunged St. Paul’s Church into
our involvement with Circles
of Support,” she added. “Therefore,
the change is slowly but
surely becoming normal within
the community; and, the
church, being a part of the
same community, becomes a
pathway to hear the stories
of injustices and castration of
persons seeking re-entry back
into society.”
At a recent graduation ceremony,
of the five-week program,
Green-Christie said she
had an “out-of-body experience,”
which allowed her, as
one of the coaches, “to be openminded
and non-judgmental of
others and their plights.”
“My faith, also through my
actions, will lend an avenue of
exposure for re-entry individuals
St. Paul’s Coach Carlyn Green-Christie.
Rev. Sheldon N. N. Hamblin
to expand their horizons
and to refuse to settle for less,”
she said.
“These individuals become,
according to Judith Lewis,
“crazy, brave and wicked
strong,” added Green-Christie,
referring to Vincentian
Lewis, one of the coaches at
St. Paul’s.
Lila Garcia, family support
coordinator.