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BTL Welcomes New Board Members

Bridges To Life welcomed two new individuals to its Board of Directors during the last month.

Katherine Cabaniss,who joined the BTL Board of Directors in May, was the Executive Director of Crime Stoppers of Houston for several years and brings non-profit leadership experience to BTL.  Recently, Katherine was appointed Judge of the 248th District Court by Governor Rick Perry.  "Katherine's many years of non-profit and criminal justice experience will be invaluable to Bridges To Life," stated John Sage.  Stated Ms. Cabaniss:  "I am thrilled, honored, and very excited!  It it is wonderful to be a part of such a worthy organization. I will do my best to contribute in every meaningful way. I look forward to working with you!"

Edward Davis, who joined the BTL Board of Directors in June, has been a BTL volunteer almost since its inception and just received his 10 Year Volunteer Pin at the Jester 3 Graduation in Richmond, TX. Edward shares:

 

"A little more than 10 years ago, I was part of a group that read and discussed a book titled Experiencing God. A principal theme of the book is the encouragement for Christians to seek and find a place where God is working and then join Him there.  At about the same time, I felt God nudging me toward prison ministry. I responded to the nudge when I heard about Bridges To Life. These many years later, I am proud to have received my 10-year volunteer pin at a recent Bridges project graduation. In every Bridges project in which I have participated, I have witnessed God working in powerful ways. Wow! There is no greater privilege than to witness God working. And there is no greater sense of fulfillment for me than to join Him in this powerful work. To experience and  witness His Spirit is to be close to Him. What a blessing!   I am looking forward to joining God's work in a new role as a Bridges board member."

Bridges To Life also welcomes two new members to its Advisory Board.  The BTL Advisory Board is made up of both former board members who wish to remain involved with BTL, as well as representatives from different regions and BTL constituencies.

Salem Abraham joins us from the Amarillo/Texas Panhandle region.  Mr. Abraham is a lifelong resident of Amarillo and has been involved in that community for many years.

Madeline Ortiz joins us as a representative of our biggest collaborator, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).  Ms. Ortiz is the Director of the TDCJ Rehabilitation Programs Division and brings with her years of experience and investment in the lives of offenders and our community.

We LOVE our Volunteers!

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month.  Did you know that nearly 1,000 volunteers have helped Bridges To Life since 2000 with its mission to bring healing to victims of crime and rehabilitation to offenders?  

It's really quite simple....BTL could not have touched the lives of nearly 17,000 offenders without its volunteers. 

This month, we honor our active volunteers that have been with us for 5 to 10 years. You can see this impressive list here!

THANK YOU!!!


Sage Named 2011 Purpose Prize Fellow

John Sage was named a 2011 Purpose Prize Fellow by Civic Ventures' Encore Careers.  Click here to read the press release.


Bridges To Life Wins Social Innovator Award

On September 8, 2011, Bridges To Life was honored by the OneStar Foundation at its annual conference with the Social Innovator Award for the 28th Annual Governor's Volunteer Awards.  This award "recognizes an individual/group/organization who has created transformational change within a community by addressing both symptoms and root causes of social issues. "We were excited to receive this honor, and I was pleased to have some friends of Bridges To Life with us at the ceremony," shares John Sage, Executive Director and Founder of BTL.  "BTL is a grassroots organization that addresses some of the root causes of crime and promotes healing for victims and rehabilitation for offenders.  We share this honor with over 300 volunteers who volunteer annually to make BTL a success."  Read the press release and watch the video clip.


John Sage Wins Award!

Houston, Texas - May 4, 2011 - John Sage, Executive Director and Founder of Bridges To Life, a faith-based Restorative Justice Prison program, was honored with the inaugural Public Service Award presented by the American Leadership Forum (ALF) at the organization's annual Jaworski Award Dinner.  More than 400 people attended this prestigious event.

"I am truly honored to be the first recipient of this special award," stated Sage.  "Being a part of the 2010 ALF Houston Criminal Justice class was a wonderful opportunity to get to know many of Houston's leaders, and I feel honored that they would nominate me."    

You can read John's acceptance speech here and an article about it here.


Volunteer Shares Story of Healing

Bridges To Life volunteer Chris Castillo shared his story of healing and mentioned Bridges To Life.  Chris shared, "You know, I can't talk about my mother without mentioning Bridges To Life, because it changed my heart and lead me on the road to forgiveness.  It has been a blessing to me."  Read the story here.