Submitted by the State Board of Pardons and Paroles

The State Board of Pardons and Paroles recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of the faith-based initiative Project Destiny (Dalton Entering Servanthood to Inspire a New You) with officials from the city of Dalton, True Gospel Pentecostal Church, Holly Creek Baptist Church and the state Department of Corrections.

The celebration was at the True Gospel Pentecostal Church in Dalton, with Bishop Reuben Graham as host pastor. Graham was presented with the first Volunteer of the Year award for his steadfast and unwavering support of Project Destiny.

Project Destiny works with state agencies, local businesses and volunteer organizations to provide basic needs to parolees as they move from incarceration to freedom. It provides an opportunity for parolees to be productive, active, contributing members of the community, while lending a hand of support. It seeks to address the gaps in services for parolees not covered by traditional Parole Board programming or other private and nonprofit organizations.

Dalton Mayor David Pennington presented Mildred Patterson, chair of Project Destiny, with a proclamation from the city in honor of the program’s commitment to change the lives of parolees in the community. “This type of thing needs to happen to promote second chances and allow for economic viability to our city,” Pennington said.

“When we first spoke about bringing this program to Dalton, I said that we would do what we needed to do to make sure this would not fail,” said Parole Board chair L. Gale Buckner, a Murray County native. “We would pull the appropriate people in the community along with the appropriate people in the faith-based community together to make this program successful. Our parole officers and the community are dedicated to the mission of Project Destiny and its success.”

Whitfield County and Murray County parolees have received temporary help with transportation, employment and housing and in obtaining their General Educational Development (GED) diplomas.

More than 30 churches are partners in Project Destiny with various levels of participation, including First United Methodist Church, which is responsible for the disbursement of funds; True Gospel Pentecostal Church, which provides transportation; Holly Creek Baptist, which provides food and clothing; Faith Worship Center, which provides “care packages” to help prepare the parolees for re-entry into the community; and Hopewell Baptist Church, which provides clothing.

There have been 140 new parolees released to Whitfield and Murray counties since the inception of Project Destiny and approximately 90 percent have benefited from the effort, including 100 referred to job assistance programs through Quality Staffing, resulting in 25 jobs; 65 receiving clothing; 57 receiving the care packages; 20 working towards their GED; 20 receiving transportation assistance; five assisted financially with payment for their driver’s license or I.D. cards; five receiving medical treatment at no cost or at a reduced rate; and one parolee who was assisted financially for a class that enabled him to receive his commercial driver’s license.

“I am not afraid to use the reference guide,” said Julie Etheridge, a parolee living in the Dalton area. “Coming out of prison you have nothing ...”

Etheridge said Project Destiny has had a positive impact on her life and she can not thank everyone enough for their help.

Refreshments for the celebration were paid for by Pastor Joe Wingo and his Angel Food Ministries, a nonprofit, non-denominational organization dedicated to grocery relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States.

For more information on the Parole Board, visit www.pap.state.ga.us.