Breaking bread & stereotypes with formerly incarcerated Vermonters<\/h1>\n

Food and community are inextricably linked.<\/p>\n

Birthdays, funerals, weddings, holidays: a meal with family and friends is a powerful component of our life celebrations and milestones. We create connections and build relationships around the dinner table, the buffet line, and the sheet cake.<\/p>\n

“If someone were to go to prison, where do they go when they get out?”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Students then listed a variety of options: the homes they lived in before, their family, a homeless shelter, the streets. Terese explained that for many people, options are limited. With this in mind, Dismas House provides support so\u00a0that the formerly incarcerated can get a job, reconcile with their family, and get their lives back together.<\/p>\n

“These are good people who made bad choices,” said Terese.\u00a0 “We offer them a safe place to come home to so they can be in the lives of those they love and do the work they are skilled to do.”<\/p>\n

Jason and Travis’s stories<\/h3>\n

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Travis and Jason each shared accounts of their lives, outlining the choices they made that landed them in prison, and the choices they are making now to rebuild their lives.\u00a0Jason claims, “Dismas saved my life.”\u00a0 He is currently working in construction and has re-connected with his son. Travis shared the conditions of his childhood that were beyond his control and caused some trauma in his life.\u00a0 He urged students to reach out for help when they are struggling, something he wished he had been able to do. Dismas House is a place where he gets the support he needs to reintegrate into society.<\/p>\n

Students asked questions about life in prison and life at Dismas House. They learned about the hard work prisoners do for little pay, the living conditions in prison, and the limited access to appealing food. They listened as Jason and Travis explained how Dismas supports them as they pursue their hopes and dreams.\u00a0 And students shared their own interests and passions, which Jason and Travis urged them to stay focused on.<\/p>\n

…and Dorset visited Dismas<\/h2>\n

Meals are an integral part of building community at Dismas Houses<\/h3>\n

Five nights a week community members cook for and eat with the residents of Dismas House.\u00a0 These meals have a purpose beyond feeding hungry people.\u00a0 Dismas believes in bringing society into the house to share a meal is a process of reconciliation.\u00a0 Former prisoners reconcile with society, and society reconciles with former prisoners.\u00a0 Each has harmed the other, these meals are a way of restoring positive relationships between the two.<\/p>\n

Dorset students visited Rutland Dismas House on two consecutive evenings. They brought food — chili, chicken soup, bread, and cookies — as well as genuine curiosity about these residents of their community.<\/p>\n

The meals begin with grace, and an opportunity to share gratitudes. Then everyone digs in. The conversation flows. People share stories, tell jokes, and enjoy each other’s company.\u00a0 It’s hard to tell who benefited more: the residents of Dismas House or the students from the Dorset School.\u00a0 Both parties had the opportunity to expand their sense of community — and share some delicious homemade food!<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/innovativeEd\/status\/1091140846911668224<\/p>\n