MEET OUR TEAM
OUR STORY STARTS HERE
RHM’s founding is the product of two groups coming together around a common goal. Renaldo Hudson, a black man sentenced to death row, began a program while incarcerated called the Building Blocks program, designed to prepare people for successful reentry upon their release. In part due to the recognition his work received, Renaldo’s sentence was commuted after serving 40 years in prison. After getting out in 2020, Renaldo dedicated himself to continuing to improve conditions for those released from incarceration, but was unsure how best to engage in that field from the outside. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Katrina was working to bring attention to the desperate conditions inside prisons and jails, where illness was running rampant through the increasingly older population. As a result of this work, we learned first-hand how difficult it is to find housing if you have a criminal conviction on your record. Despite being a form of illegal discrimination in the state of Illinois, we were explicitly denied the opportunity to rent housing to provide support to our colleagues affected by incarceration. So we decided that, in order to make a change, we needed to become the property owners ourselves, and were weighing the decision of how to best proceed. It was during this time that Katrina and I met Renaldo, and instantly determined that we needed to collaborate in the creation of a new organization which pursued radically hospitable environments for those existing incarceration - and thus, Radical Hospitality Ministries was born. Formed in 2020, we have been providing service and consultation to dozens of clients ever since, with our first direct housing provision opportunity beginning in January of 2023.
RHM MISSION
The mission of Radical Hospitality Ministries is to provide transitional housing and holistic social assistance to individuals re-entering society from a carceral environment. In partnership with local community members, neighbors and community service organizations, we provide our formerly incarcerated residents with a healthy living environment and connections to resources to meet their basic needs and achieve their personalized goals... We envision a home that is welcoming and safe, providing the space necessary for people to heal from the trauma of incarceration. We envision that every resident who graduates from the home will feel equipped to realize their personal goals and flourish in the broader community. We envision cultivating a community within the home that is a picture of true liberation and a blessing to our surrounding neighbors.
First, we plan to operate as a “housing first” organization by acquiring a slate of residential sites to provide direct housing support to clients. This includes owning or renting properties for organizational use, as well as maintaining a team of people to oversee service provision at these sites. Admission into residency is free, and we charge nothing from clients until they have a steady income, at which point we charge a static percentage to help train clients in adjusting their budget to cover a rent or mortgage cost.
Second, we plan to develop and maintain a living list of partners, be they organizations or individuals, to whom we can refer residents when they need additional services beyond what we directly provide, such as medical care and employment.
Third, we provide direct financial support to clients in the form of monthly stipend to cover food costs, medical costs, and additional monthly costs such as a cell phone plan, to ensure clients have their basic needs met in a stable manner.
Fourth, we plan to develop a list of actively involved financial supporters to ensure RHM’s long-term solvency and stability. This allows RHM to be a reliable service provide trusted and recognized by the community as a gold-standard reentry housing organization.
Fifth, we plan to develop individually tailored growth plans for each client, allowing them to realign their long-term goals around the pursuit of stability, safety, health, and happiness. This includes developing roots in their communities, and finding good work upon which they can build their independence.
SERVICES RHM PROVIDES
-
Direct housing support at no cost for people without an income
-
A monthly stipend to cover the cost of food
-
A monthly stipend to cover the cost of recurring expenses like cell phone plan
-
Direct financial support to help cover other necessary costs, such as medical expenses
-
Transportation to and from necessary appointments or trips, such as shifts at work, medical visits, or grocery stores
-
Individually-tailored, hands-on guidance in the development of short and long-term goals
-
Financial management training, including help making a budget and setting aside funds regularly in a savings account
-
GUTS (“Getting up to speed”) training about how to use certain forms of technology with which clients may not be familiar due to the length of their incarceration
-
Contact with numerous partners who provide additional services, such as funds to pursue continuing education