Many prison inmates can change their lives if thrown a lifeline. Larry Gudith learned that from personal experience, he told Clarkston Rotarians at their Oct. 5 meeting.
The guest speaker discussed how he went from a professional football player with the Oakland Raiders to prison inmate, and finally to founder and director of Lifeline Prison Ministry.
‘I was incarcerated once ? after knee surgery, I got hooked on pain pills,? he said. ‘Demerol was my god for two years ? I asked God to help me get rid of the addiction.?
Gudith is a certified and credentialed chaplain through the International Fellowship of Chaplains, president of the South-Central Oakland County Families Against Narcotics, and program director for 15 adult recovery homes for men and women going through substance abuse addiction.
He launched the Lifeline ministry in 2003 with a letter writing campaign to prisoners ? one thing he learned from his stay was the importance of letters from loved ones.
Inspired during prayer by the Holy Spirit with a vision of colors, he started by writing 750 letters to inmates whose last name was a color.
‘I asked them about starting a Christian ministry and got 583 responses saying they would love to,? he said. ‘During my year incarceration, I saw a lot of decent people who made bad mistakes. This is about giving people a second chance.?
Programs run by volunteers with the nonprofit Lifeline Prison Ministry include the One Day With God Camp.
Inmates, who are screened for the program, spend an entire day sharing activities with their children, including games, praise and worship, crafts, meals, celebrating birthdays and other milestones, and forgiveness and reconciliation.
‘Kids with the mothers and dads ? it’s really, really emotional, a real learning experience,? he said.
They also provide opportunities for non-violent inmates to work with puppies in the Puppies Behind Bars, Refurbished Pets of Southern Michigan, and Second Chance at Life programs.
The Puppies Behind Bars program lasts two years during which inmates train animals as service dogs for disabled veterans.
Results have been amazing, Gudith said.
‘To know that you’re helping someone ? you don’t know what that does for your spirit,? he said. ‘It’s considered one of best jobs in prison.?
They also offer mentoring, family support, creative arts, housing and job assistance, and other programs.
‘We want to stop the cycle of incarceration that goes on for generation after generation,? Gudith said. ‘We want to link up with families just as much as with inmates.?
His work with Families Against Narcotics, a Michigan based group, deals with the explosion of narcotics abuse in Oakland County, from prescription medication to heroin.
‘I see them in prison,? he said. ‘What happens many times is for people in broken homes, it’s a way for them to feel validated. It numbs the pain for a while. They get hooked on drugs, commit crimes.?
For himself, lack of self esteem led him to addiction.
‘I made the NFL, now it was, ‘who am I,?? he said. ‘Instead of being a man and dealing with the issue, I elected to numb myself. God brought me around.?
Now his job is to help others, he said.
‘Its about helping others over the finish line,? he said.
Check lifelineprisonministry.org for more information. The Rotary Club meets on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at BuckshotsBar and Grill, 7048 Gateway park. Call 248-880-0027.