The Ruth Project

The Mission
The name Ruth means friendship. According to Scripture, Ruth was poor, a foreigner, and a woman, and all this counted against her. Ruth chose to walk with her mother-in-law after both women had suffered tremendous loss. The words of Ruth resonate within our hearts to this day, “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge.” Ruth walked with her mother-in-law through times of despair, hunger, homelessness, and bitterness. They walked together and came out on the other side of adversity. Ruth’s story is a demonstration of courage and triumph over adverse circumstances facing her.
Picture a woman: afflicted; addicted; abused; unemployed; and, desperate. Envision this woman as she calls a prison cell home. She may have children who have been taken away from her. This woman broke the law and is serving her sentence. Long before the day of the crime, her heart and spirit was broken. Her mind has been incarcerated, her heart institutionalized. This woman has acted out, cried out: “Please don’t leave me, or turn back from following me; where I go, please walk with me. Please…walk with me.”

This is the mission of The Ruth Project: to walk with women in Massachusetts as they complete their sentences for crimes and are released, as well as those women who are paroled or on probation. We endeavor to walk with these women as they return to and remain in society and face a new set of obstacles, challenges, and burdens. We seek to walk with them in serving, in equipping, and in guiding, so that they not just face the issues in front of them, they overcome them. Our goal is to see the restoration of each woman, and that the women we have walked with will in turn become “Ruths” and continue the walk with other women coming out of correctional facilities, as well as preventing women on probation from entering a correctional facility.

The Need
National statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice indicate that 1 out of every 32 Americans is either incarcerated, on probation, or parole. The report shows 2.2 million Americans imprisoned, and a total of 7 million in the penal system (incarcerated, on probation, or parole). In 2005, female offenders grew at a rate of 2.6%, compared to 1.9% for male offenders. Women are the fastest growing prison population in the country, and in Massachusetts.

The Services at the Resource Center
The Ruth Project seeks to provide services and resources to female ex-offenders and probationers in the Bristol County, Massachusetts area. It is not our intent to duplicate existing services in the service area. The services and resources available at the Resource Center include:

1. Transitional Shelter Referrals
2. Referrals to Food Pantry and Meals Programs
3. Life Skills Training Program
4. Job Readiness Training Program
5. Restoring Paths Program
6. Job Search Resources
7. Nutrition Program
8. Bible Study
9. Mentoring
10. Referrals to Educational Programs
11. Parenting Program
12. Budgeting and Financial Management
13. Affordable Housing SearchThe Opportunity to Assist

There are many opportunities to provide assistance for The Ruth Project. Among the opportunities are:
• Prayer Support
• Financial Support
• Resource Center Volunteers
• Mentors

One of the immediate needs is financial and we are seeking support from churches, community organizations, businesses, and individuals with a heart for this project.
An investment in The Ruth Project is an investment in an individual, a family, and a community. All contributions are tax-deductible, as The Ruth Project is part of Faith Seeds Ministries, an outreach ministry of Bethany Village Fellowship, located in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Financial contributions can be made out to: Faith Seeds Ministries (please indicate The Ruth Project on the payment). Donations may be mailed to: Faith Seeds Ministries, PO Box 723, Bellingham, MA 02019.