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 a comprehensive pre-release program .
Watching the women released every week with high hopes and dreams for their life, only to return feeling defeated and worthless, they saw the need to expand the ministry to include after care support upon release. In 2003 B.I.R.D. Ministries began developing reentry management services that works closely with a network of community and faith based organizations to provide a collaboration of service and supervision for the women. Through this network of service providers , 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 the number of service providers in the network.
The primary goal of aftercare and 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, B.I.R.D. Ministries actively pursues opportunities to better serve their clients, increase community education and awareness, and help develop effective reentry management.
B.I.R.D. Ministries is committed to the stability and well being of their clients and their families at all stages of their incarceration and transition back into their families and communities.