About Us
For over 12 years Joe and Linda Bird served as foster parents opening their hearts and home to care for more than 200 children. With a desire to impact not only the children, but their parents, they established Beginning In the Right Direction, or B.I.R.D. Ministries. Armed with the faith and belief that all things are possible with God, they are helping women who have been in prison rebuild their lives and overcome the cycle of drugs poverty and violence that has devastated their lives and families. Through a network of resources- from social services agencies to faith-based ministries and churches they are able to provide the women and their families with the support and services they so desperately need.
Vision
B.I.R.D. Ministries is a Christ centered ministry committed to seeing that all women who have been in prison receive hope, healing, support and guidance to restore them to wholeness and reconcile them to their families and communities to live in harmony with God, self, and others.
Mission
As an expression of Christ's love, we provide women who have been in prison hope, healing and reconciliation with God, family and community by:
Responding to their life skills need through pre and post-release education.
Providing mentors for encouragement, support and guidance.
Promoting individual responsibility and accountability through reentry case management.
Working collaboratively with community resources to provide services.
Core Values
Christ led Ministry
The love and reconciling ministry of Jesus Christ demonstrated in our ministry to others.
Dignity and Worth
All persons are created in the image of God and are endowed with dignity, worth and purpose.
Accountability and Honesty
Integrity and honesty of character dedicated to excellence and openness to counsel and correction.
Professional Excellence
Spiritual and professional growth that demonstrates obedience, respect, perseverance and servant leadership.
Stewardship
Effective and creative use of all resources.
History
B.I.R.D. Ministries was established in July of 2000, by Joe and Linda Bird and incorporated in October 2004. In June of 2001 B.I.R.D. Ministries went into Lancaster County Prison to teach one eight week parenting class for the women house in the 2-5 block. Since then a single parenting class has evolved into our current comprehensive pre-release program supported in the community with our post release reentry management.
Watching the women released every week with high hopes and dreams for their life, only to return feeling defeated and worthless, we saw the need to expand the ministry to include support upon release. In 2003 B.I.R.D. Ministries began developing reentry management services to support the work of our pre-release program by developing a network of community and faith based organizations to provide a collaboration of service ans supervision for the women. Through this developing network of referrals, clients and their families are connected to the services and supervision they need to move toward stability and self-sufficiency. Currently clients are referred to a range of services that include, housing assistance, employment counseling, transportation, continuing education drug and alcohol treatment and counsellings. Even though current capacity and structure are limited, work continues to increase capacity and an the number of local agencies and organizations in the referral network.
The primary goal in reentry is to surround each woman with the support, encouragement and service needed to make a successful transition into community and family. As an emerging ministry, we actively pursue opportunities to better serve our clients, increase community education and awareness, an help develop effective reentry management.
B.I.R.D. Ministries is committed to providing the women at Lancaster County Prison with comprehensive pre-release education and reentry management services that are both beneficial and practical and work closely with an established network of agencies committed to the stability and well being of our clients and their families.