Wayside Cross Ministries Announces Gift from Plano Molding Company
Posted Thursday, December 17, 2009 by Wayside Cross Ministries
Contact Information: Chrystal Maxwell, Director of Capital Campaign, (630) 723-3427
Organization's URL: http://www.waysidecross.org

• Therapy by Fishing to Help Connection with Families

Aurora, Ill., Dec. 17, 2009 (The Religion Wire™) — Christmas came early this year at Wayside Cross Ministries in Aurora. Through a generous gift from the Plano Molding Company, residents will share new fishing tackle boxes and gear with their children, teaching them how to fish as a way of reconnecting men with their families. Enhancing the Master’s Touch program, designed to transform lives, restore families and renew communities, the men receive counseling, mentoring and leadership development in addition to educational, social and career opportunities during their stay with the ministry.

“We are pleased to give new tackle boxes and gear to the Master’s Touch Program to support the ministry’s efforts to restore families who have reached out for help during difficult life circumstances,” said Lisa Hjorth, Vice-President of Human Resources, of the Plano Molding Company. “We recognize that when families are in a crisis, resources may not be available for fun activities that allow dads time to share with their children.”

When men enter the Master’s Touch Program, which provides food, shelter and life transformation to men who struggle with unemployment, lack of education, substance abuse and poverty, many are disconnected from their families. “One of the greatest challenges our men face during their time with us is of reconciliation with their families,” said Wayne Greenawalt, Executive Director of Wayside Cross Ministries. “It can be a long process, but is necessary as these men develop the skills that will allow them to become gainfully employed, contributing citizens and responsible fathers to their children.”

Throughout Wayside’s 82 year history of providing services to the area’s needy, hundreds of volunteers have participated as mentors for the program. Randy Tomassi, Director of Master’s Touch Program, has observed that many of the men come from families with a history of poverty, abuse and have not experienced a healthy relationship with their own fathers. He comments, “Our men will be excited to share this gift with their families. As they spend time together in a healthy activity, they model leadership qualities and take responsibility to invest into their children’s lives, which all children deserve from their parents. We also will be using the tackle boxes with our men’s program as an activity to connect with their mentors, during the process of learning new life skills and developing these men into the leaders that God designed them to be.”

According to the National Center for Fathering, the need for parental involvement has reached a crisis with over 27 million children affected in the US alone. Linked to higher rates of poverty, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, depression and crime, growing up without Dad touches not only today’s children, but also the next generations.

Wayside is hopeful for a future joint partnership with a community business, so that the men will also receive fishing licenses from the State of Illinois so that they may legally fish with their children and mentors.

For more information or to volunteer with the program, go the website at www.waysidecross.org or contact Chrystal Maxwell at 630-723-3427.

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PDF of news release