Welcome!
We at Breaking Free care about the lives of men and women. In June 2004, Ernest James and Dr.Clarissa Hersey-James founded a faith-based, inner city, not for profit organization, Breaking Free By Faith Outreach Ministries, Inc. They serve homeless people with substance abuse, domestic violence and mental health issues and those being released from jail or prison. They provide shelter, transitional, affordable/ permanent housing to help them transition back into society and work toward self-sufficiency.
Our organization is dedicated to aiding those less fortunate. Established in the heart of St. Petersburg, Florida we’ve aided the less fortunate for 5 years now.The shortage of affordable housing places the homeless and released inmates at risk of continual homelessness, sleeping in the street, moving form one transient living situation to another, subjected to crimes against them or committing criminal behaviors to make a living which will lead them back into the criminal justice system by way of probation, jail or prison.
Breaking Free By Faith Outreach Ministry, Inc. collaborates with other organizations and substance abuse treatment programs to make the community a safe and crime free-living environment.
Breaking Free By Faith Outreach Ministry, Inc. is an Emergency Shelter, Transitional and Affordable/Permanent Housing Program that seeks to be the bridge to help build a better life for those looking for a second chance to get their lives back on track. We enable them to reintegrate into mainstream society, become economically productive, and begin life free from such issues as criminal activity, substance abuse, domestic violence and other strongholds that prevent them from being productive members of society and/or are hinder them from reaching their successful destiny. Our referral networking system and housing offered to an inmate upon release is a solution to improve the criminal justice systems' punitive response to jail/prison inmate programs.
Homeless men and women inmates with substance abuse being released in the mid-town inner city of St. Petersburg, Florida re-entering society already have many strikes against them as it relates to employment, housing and other services and are seen as a risk factor. The homeless and inmates need a minimum of 6-24 months to re-adjust to taking control of their lives in free society. They need housing, employment, educational services, and spiritual guidance to work toward self-sufficiency.
The vision for this ministry was birthed long ago, when Deacon Ernest James decided to open a Faith-based Seafood Cafe'. His Heart was then and is now never to see families go hungry. Deacon James would always keep a pantry for the homeless and when they came; neither by him or employees, were they ever turned away. Bro. James and Dr. Clarissa James have always stood on Mathew 24:42,43,45 and the more they continued to do this, God supernaturally blessed them in abundance. Now here years later through Dr. Clarissa Hersey-James still keeping the vision of her husband alive! Together they are a Dynamic Duo., aiding the less fortunate.
Many of those we helped were able to get back on their feet and start their lives anew.
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