With the recent purchase of a 4,600-square-foot woodworking shop to replace the one that burned in July 2022, Soteria Community Development Corp. is back in business reclaiming wood as it reclaims lives.
The nonprofit’s social-enterprise program, “Soteria at Work” restores and repurposes wood salvaged through its deconstruction services, providing job training for men reentering the community after serving time in prison.
Founder and CEO Jerry Blassingame in front of Soteria’s new woodworking shop on Rutherford Road.Jerry Blassingame, who founded Soteria in 1999 based on a plan he wrote while he himself was in prison, said giving formerly incarcerated people the skills they need to get back to work is a key component of his ministry. The program’s services include housing, education, employment, affirmation and advocacy.
“I believe in economic mobility. Even people who have a blemish on their record deserve a second chance,” he said. “We give them tools to rebuild their lives and become productive members of society. We offer a plethora of benefits for individuals and the community.”
Although Soteria continued to provide work opportunities for its interns while it was without a shop, Blassingame said having a workshop again is exciting. Everyone in the reentry program trains there for 30 to 45 days, learning soft skills like interviewing and clocking in along with woodworking skills. Interns build custom tables, desks, shelving and other unique items for local businesses and individual customers.
“Once they have that training under their belt, we work with local employers to help them get a higher paying job in the community,” Blassingame said.
Soteria’s residential reentry program can serve up to 16 men and 16 women in its two transitional homes. Participants create their own plan for what they want to achieve and can stay for six or 12 months to complete it. They receive assistance with employment, education, transportation, clothing and food, substance-abuse counseling, mentoring and spiritual support. Soteria even offers a 2-to-1 matching savings program designated for investments in their future like education, a car, home or to start a business.
“Everybody in our program takes financial literacy classes,” Blassingame said. “Just getting a job is not enough if they don’t have the financial acumen to budget and make good choices with their money.”
The nonprofit owns 18 family homes it rents to its graduates and other low-income residents. Money earned from deconstruction services, sales of repurposed items and rent goes back into the nonprofit’s budget, Blassingame said. In 2022, 24% of Soteria’s revenue was generated by the organization, 28% was funded by grants, and 36% came from individual and corporate contributions.
A fire destroyed Soteria’s woodworking shop in July 2022.“It’s hard for organizations like Soteria to raise funds for this work. We’ve had to create our own funding to keep our doors open,” he said.
Soteria has seen success in breaking cycles of poverty and recidivism, with only 7% recidivism among those who stayed for six months, and 0% after 12 months. Blassingame advocates at the local, state and national level to help expunge criminal records and eliminate collateral consequences that continue to punish individuals long after they’ve served their time.
Community Foundation of Greenville President Bob Morris praised Soteria’s resilience following the fire.
“Jerry, his team, his board of directors, and a wide range of financial supporters have worked incredibly well together in a situation that threatened to wipe out decades of accomplishments,” Morris said. “Their laser focus on the men and women that depend on Soteria to succeed made the difference.”
Soteria will host its annual fundraiser, Reclaiming Community, Oct. 26 from 7-9 p.m. at Fluor Field in Greenville. The event will combine a silent auction with a community conversation about the impact made through housing, economic mobility, employment, mental health and advocacy. Dozens of local artisans, including program participants, have donated work to be auctioned to support the nonprofit’s work. For more information and tickets, visit event.gives/soteria2023.
