F.A.I.T.H. Inc.

History of F.A.I.T.H. Inc.

 

 

For Action In Togetherness Holdfast (F.A.I.T.H Inc) was established by Reverend John H. Crawford,  Jr., a former WSO activist and former inmate. According to the Office of the Secretary of State of Illinois, F.A.I.T.H. Inc. was officially incorporated on August 12, 1985. The organization started its activity in the Menards Correction Center in Menards, IL, where Rev. Crawford was incarcerated.The idea of F.A.I.T.H. Inc. came to Rev. Crawford one night through a spiritual experience. In the middle of the night while dozing off on the bottom bunk, he was woken by a strong presence believed to have been God. He reached for the light bulb above his bed, grabbed his Bible, and turned to the chapter on Faith. He then began writing down all his thoughts. It was this experience that awoke his desire to help inmates successfully re-integrating into society upon release from prison.  However, Rev. Crawford needed permission to follow through with F.A.I.T.H. Inc., since the correction center had to oversee all projects. 

He gained support from the warden, James Grant. He needed a space to work where

he could contact resources and turned his cell into a "laboratory". 

He then brought up the idea of F.A.I.T.H. Inc. to his peers. Meetings of F.A.I.T.H. Inc.

members were held in the institution and all residents were welcomed to attend.

 

While Rev. Crawford was still incarcerated, Archie Hargraves, a

founding member of WSO, served as the chairman of F.A.I.T.H. Inc. 

He was a pastor at South Shore Community Church at 74th St. and Yates at the time. 

After release, F.A.I.T.H. Inc. was run by a board, with Rev. Crawford as president. This was done with the resources and funds available through the Illinois Department of Corrections. Spencer Lee of Illinois Department Of Corrections wanted F.A.I.T.H. Inc. to be the community advisor for the institution. In 1998 F.A.I.T.H. Inc. started its monthly advisory group meeting on the first Friday of every month. The first meetings took place at Trinity Baptist Church (1210 N. Waller). The meetings allow for representatives of the Chicago West Side outreach organizations to convene with representatives of the Sheriff's Department, Governor's office and Prison Review Board, among others, to discuss solutions to problems such as recidivism and community funding. The goals and motivations of this organization can be best summarized through a quote of Rev. Cawford: "It is not God's will for you to be broke, God wants you to be prosperous and have enough to feed your family. However, it can only be done if you put forth the work to make it happen." 

 

Since the nineties, the main effort of the members of F.A.I.T.H. Inc. has been obtaining IDs for formerly incarcerated individuals. Many people coming out of prison are released without any official state identification other than a prison discharge slip or a department of corrections inmate card. The process of obtaining IDs, birth certificates, and social security cardsafter incarceration can be daunting. Failure to do so can quickly affect their chances of successfully re-integrating into the community. If approached again by police, they are more likely to be re-incarcerated for not being able to identify themselves. F.A.I.T.H. Inc. ensures that people released from prison are able to obtain proper state identification cards in order to get a job, a place to live, public benefits, and other necessities in the community.

 

As a former inmate himself, Rev. Crawford has remained committed to providing formerly incarcerated individuals with resources to re-integrate into society. Since its opening, F.A.I.T.H. Inc has helped over 50,000 men and women with the understanding that: 

      "If a man has used his hands to cause destruction, to cause a mother to cry, to cause death to the community,                those same hands can be constructive in the community"

                                                                                                          - Reverend John H. Crawford Jr.  

 

References:

 

Crawford, John. FAITH Inc. Meeting. Feb. 21. 2015.

Felton, Robert. "FAITH Inc. meeting tackles issues facing former inmates." Austin Weekly News 12 Oct. 2005. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.

Moroni, Nick. "Faith and Activism on the West Side." Austin Weekly News 30 June 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.