Staff and reentrants at ADAPPT Residential Reentry Center in Reading, Pennsylvania spent the holiday season participating in voluntary community service around the City of Reading. It is a longstanding tradition at ADAPPT that supports reentrants’ behavioral therapies while servicing less fortunate community members.
“At ADAPPT we are convinced of the importance of community service,” ADAPPT Director Michael Critchosin said. “We have seen how giving back at the community level provides reentrants with an opportunity to practice positive behavior and allows an opportunity to give back for wrongs done to society.”
Staff and reentrants volunteered together at the Hope of the Nation Church throughout December by serving hot meals to community members seeking support. Church members said they appreciated the help from the many volunteers who came out. ADAPPT team members were eager to express gratitude for the rewarding experience and were quick to endorse the importance of serving the community, claiming helping others helped them.
“This is one of many opportunities that we at ADAPPT continue to seek to participate in giving back to our community,” ADAPPT Clinical Supervisor Dawn Martin said. “This is a testament to GEO Care and their mission statement of changing behaviors, that it really does change lives.”
ADAPPT’s mission is to focus on treating the causes of criminal behavior and addiction thus reducing recidivism, and to provide residents with the necessary knowledge and skills to lead a productive lifestyle prior to reintegration into the community.