Next year will mark 40 years that Dismas House in South Bend has been helping people re-enter the community after prison. The nonprofit is excited about their newest effort to serve more people.
Dismas House was founded in 1986 with a belief in the importance of second chances. It serves 13 men and women who live in a house in the Monroe Park neighborhood, where they receive services around four pillars: family support, wellness, justice reform and advocacy, and economic empowerment.
Studies show receiving those services after prison can reduce chances of returning to prison by 67%.
But there are at least 80 people on their waiting list. So to help more of them, on Monday the organization will open Dismas Hub in a historic commercial building on South Street in the same neighborhood.
Dismas House executive director Andee Huxhold says she’s eager to use the new space.
”We’ve been incredibly blessed with some of the local private family foundations who have invested in our programming budget so that we can really bring in some robust programs to serve this community in quite a few more ways,” Huxhold said.
They invite the public to the hub, at 402 E. South St. for an open house Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
