The work on the 4000 sq. ft. office continues

Teaching job skills.

 

 

Restore is building a 4000 square feet office building. Many men are learning new skills. Some will see and work on the project from start to finish.

Congratulations to Rick!

 

Congratulations to Rick! He graduated and moved back to Tennessee.  

Congrats to Travis!

 

Travis graduated! He left with this truck and a job at a landscaping company. 

Welding training

Jerome is being trained by Derrick in trailer construction.

Cooking at Men's Breakfast

Marquis help Josh cook at FOHC's men's breakfast.

Marquis' Graduation Party

Congratulation to Marquis. He graduated RTM. He bought a car, has rented a house, and has a job. He is relocating to Huntsville with his wife and children.

Congrats to three more grads!

Ashley Marcus and Peanut graduated last weekend! Congrats to them!

Training in trailer repair!

Brandon and Maquees repairing a trailer.

   RTM is a 6 month long, Christ-centered life restoration program.  The men who complete the 6 months are given up to $4,500 (see program details for more information).  This is money they've earned from working that the ministry has saved for them to facilitate a new beginning.
   There isn't a rehabilitative program in Texas like this one.  We build their moral and spiritual character, develop work skills in them, and prepare them for successful, post graduate living.
   Please pray for Restore Texas Ministries. 

   It is a privilege to be of assistance to Restore Texas Ministries. The leadership of this unique ministry is focused on helping men develop skill sets that will not only build their moral character, but also strengthen their chances for future success in life.
   As the Public Relations Coordinator, I get to see the inner workings of RTM, and report to the public its intriguing design.  The men who reside here are grateful to have a second chance to get life right, and you can see their thankfulness in the way they treat the staff.
   It's a honor to serve these men, to love them, and to witness their spiritual growth!  God is working in their lives in powerful ways, and we have front row seats!
   To affect the life of a person is to change the world, by one! Imagine if every one of us would just invest in the life of just one other person... And that essentially epitomizes the ministry efforts of Restore Texas Ministries.
   Monte Robinson's vision several years ago has now begun to take shape before our very eyes, and we thank God for it.
   Get involved in this ministry today...
Join me in loving these men, and playing a part in reshaping the world around us.
Until next time... Go Hard 4 Christ.

Men building trusses

TDCJ Chaplains' Meeting

There were over 20 visitors from Texas Department of Criminal Justice at RTM. Chaplains and officials from volunteer services had lunch at and toured RTM.

Former co-workers, Chaplain Vance Drum (left), TDCJ's Manager of Chaplaincy Operations and Dr. James Mathew (Restore Texas' Chaplain) were in attendance.  

 

From left to right: Rick Pritchard (RTM Management Team), Chaplain Rose (Regional Chaplain Supervisor), and the Chaplain from the Byrd Unit. 

University Heights Baptist Church's Men's group was a blessing!

University Heights Baptist Church's Men's group was a blessing! They installed water to our second building. The fed us some awesome BBQ and blessed us with poems and songs! THANK YOU UHBC!

Our new dorm is finished!

This dorm will house 4 more men. This dorm is our final phase dorm that will house men closest to getting back on their feet. 

Our new RTM Services office is open!

 

We completed our new office this week. This will provide a place for welding customers to check out and meeting space for the ministry. 

Steel racks for the retail welding shop are completed. 

We have welding jobs and training continuing. Welding is at the heart of job placement in our future. 

The new RTM Services Office is being built

We started on the new RTM office. This will allow us to open to the public as a welding shop. 

John "Red" Bandy Training

From the American Welding Society: "The United States is in the midst of a welder shortage that is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for skilled labor grows. Studies show that there are more than 500,000 welders employed in the U.S.  And the need for these skilled workers is only getting stronger as virtually all construction and manufacturing companies require some form of welding, from the production of assemblies to maintenance and repair.  But finding a highly skilled and experienced welder is no easy task.  Skilled welders are in short supply and the situation is only getting worse. According to AWS and other industry research, the average age of a welder is in the mid-fifties, with many approaching 60 years old.  It is estimated that more than half of the industry’s highly trained workforce is nearing retirement." (1) Although this article is dated, the problem remains: the Wall Street Journal, in its article, "Problem for American Industry: A Good Welder is Hard to Find"(2)  continues to echo the opportunities for us as a ministry. John "Red" Bandy has a heart to help the men we serve learn this trade and become viable job candidates.

"Red", the Welding Supervisor is training our new student Jason. Jason desires to learn the trade. 

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(1) https://app.aws.org/pr/shortagefactsheet.pdf
(2) "http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2014/03/28/problem-for-american-industry-a-good-welder-is-hard-to-find/