Director's Message

"They Don't Deserve" by Carleen Reck, SSND CJM Director

Beginning at Home

by S. Carleen Reck, SSND

A friend from out of town asked me to take her to the “wonderful museum collection about Charles Lindbergh.”  I had passed the Missouri Historical Museum in Forest Park for years—without knowing about one of its best collections.  Perhaps you too have noticed that sometimes people travel distances for an opportunity hardly known by the locals.  I want to be sure that does not happen regarding CJM programs and services.

Recently, several Missouri housing and mental health staff members traveled from Jefferson City and Kansas City to spend a day here at SVDP, learning how CJM houses ex-prisoners and helps them to smoothly re-enter society. Two staff members from Kansas State Corrections have requested a similar in-service day with CJM.  When planning their Spring Training Institute, the Missouri Department of Mental Health asked four CJM staff members to give a session on Supportive Housing for Ex-Offenders.

 Although all of us at CJM feel complimented because professionals are traveling hundreds of miles to learn about our programs, we are most concerned that every conference and every Vincentian knows what we can offer to the poor and vulnerable in their area.  For that reason, these pages include a brief look at many of the programs that we offer.  Since 1979, CJM has been available to assist with issues that need more or different resources than most conferences have at hand.  These pages offer some brief portraits of people in current CJM programs.