In 2008, Eric found himself in prison and alone. He had committed a felony that would keep him incarcerated for 10 years. “I had a fear over me when I got to prison,” Eric said. “Prison is not a good place to be. A lot of men have pent up anger because their freedom is gone. They look to drugs… they look to food – whatever it may be to dull their pain.” More than anything, Eric knew that he wanted to serve his time and stay under the radar. Looking back, he can see God’s hand in keeping him out of trouble and steering toward the right relationships.

“I’ve seen horrible things happen in prison, but I’ve also seen good,” he said. During his first few days in prison, a group of godly men took Eric under their wings and began to mentor him. These men encouraged him to get involved in Bible Studies and eventually Eric started to participate in the God Behind Bars campus at New Castle Correctional Facility. Through Pastor Steve Poe’s messages, Eric continued to grow closer to Jesus, trusting Christ for his safety and well-being. While participating in God Behind Bars, Eric met Pastor Walt, who told him about Brookside Community Reentry’s Isaiah House.

In 2018, Eric started the application process for Isaiah House in preparation for his release at the end of the year. Pastor Walt then hand delivered Eric’s application to Brookside’s Reentry Team and advocated for Eric to receive a spot in the program. 

“I knew that I wanted to be in Isaiah House. All the accountability that I had in prison, I would have at the Isaiah House and I knew I needed that,” he said.

On December 30, 2018, Eric was released from prison. Over the next few weeks, Eric stepped into the community at Brookside Community Church, participating in Bible Study and the Sunday Worship Service. Eric proved himself to be a good candidate for Isaiah House and was accepted into the program at the beginning of 2019. 

Over the past year, Eric has flourished. He has walked out his reentry journey with the support of Brookside staff and volunteers who continue to pour into his life. Most importantly, Eric is also serving the Lord by using his gifts. If you drop by a Brookside Community Church service, you’ll most likely find Eric leading worship.

As Eric continues to walk out his reentry journey, he is thankful for the relationships and community that he has found through the Isaiah House program and Brookside Community Church. “The Isaiah House isn’t just putting a roof over my head; it’s getting me to understand people outside of the prison walls and have the skills to adapt.”

“That makes me feel good to know that there are people who are saying ‘ok, you’ve messed up… you’ve really messed up, but we’re seeing you for who you are now’ and I need that.”

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