On Eagles Wings to receive grant

By TONY BRITT
Friday, September 8, 2006 11:29 PM EDT


The On Eagles Wings Crisis program has been awarded a $75,000 U.S. Department of Labor Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives grant.

The On Eagles Wings Crisis program provides support services for recently released offenders and community members for substance abuse counseling, anger management and parenting skills sessions. The program also has a licensed mental health counselor that provides assessments to determine the needs of people in the program.

“Praise God we got this grant,” said Blondell Johnson, president of the On Eagles Wings board of directors. “Some of the dreams of the agency are being able to provide the services that need to be provided to residents in the county, as well as those in the (correctional) facilities.”

“ On Eagles Wings has a mission to serve those (people) with barriers to success in their lives,” said Linda Brown, executive director of On Eagles Wings programs. “We work with released offenders to help them become productive citizens and to become successful in their lives so they can become an integral part in their community.”

Brown said program officials have found that released offenders need support and often once they are released from jail or prison there are no support services available.

“We are there as that open door for them,” she said. “We're there to help them learn that they can stay away from that revolving door that leads them back into jail or prison. We are their lifeline.”

The On Eagles Wings Crisis program was founded in 2002 and is four years old. The program serves seven counties with Columbia being the main county.

The grant deadline was June 30 and Brown said she was notified on June 27 that the program would be awarded grant funds.

The $75,000 grant is the first federal grant the local organization has been awarded to date.

Brown will be going to a Department of Labor Employment Training Administration Grantee orientation conference in Washington next week to get the grant funds. The conference is scheduled for Sept. 12-15.

“The funding is to be used for the Connections To Work Program,” Brown said. “That program is designed to aid those participants with various employment support services.”

The services will include training in computer skills, counseling services, anger management skills, facilitator pay and curriculum needs.

In the past four years, the program has served more than 200 participants.

“Our goal is to reach the needs of the participants and the community,” said Ollistine Gilbert, coordinator of the On Eagles Wings Connections To Work program. “We have a variety of services that are available to the community.”

The On Eagles Wings Crisis program currently has 30 participants who take part in its transitional housing program, as well as other support services.