All the way back in 2008, with a mission team in Honduras, I became acquainted with an organization named (at the time) Orphan Helpers. My team was working in a government-run orphanage and in a teenage girl’s residential facility, and this organization had staff working full time in both locations. On that trip in 2008, I met some of the leadership staff from the U.S. who were visiting at the same time.

Fast forward several years and the government in Honduras shut down the facilities. Orphan Helpers, though, was also already working inside juvenile detention facilities. Consequently, over the past several years they have focused their mission to working solely in these type of facilities within Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Earlier this year the organization was renamed Counteract International to more adequately represent the work being accomplished.

In the 16 years since we met, I have partnered with this organization and earlier this year accepted the opportunity to be on their Board of Directors. I am excited to continue this association and be an active part in helping them accomplish their mission. I would like to commend the organization to you as well.

Counteract International equips incarcerated youth for success with a faith-based holistic approach, counteracting the negative impacts of poverty, family disruption, crime, violence, and lack of educational and vocational opportunities. Currently there are more than 1,200 teens behind bars in the three countries in which Counteract works.

This work is carried out, first, by full-time teachers working & mentoring youth while they are Behind Bars. They have established Success Academies where training on life skills, leadership, vocational opportunities, and discipling occurs.

For those that graduate a Success Academy and eventually earn their release from detention, Counteract then works with them Beyond Bars by assigning them a Success Coach. (Personal aside: I feel a great synergy with this organization because we have similar paths from orphan care to life coaching!) These coaches walk alongside the youth after release, helping implement their Life Plans, and providing mentoring and counseling. This is an ongoing 2-year effort following release.

As the youths mature, the process comes full circle to Community Impact. Counteract facilitates a networking of formerly incarcerated youth to give back to the ministry and to their communities.

You can learn more about the organization at counteract.org and by signing up for their newsletter on the website. As I mentioned above, I would like to commend this organization to you as one that is worthy of your prayers and your financial support. As you contemplate your discretionary charitable budget, please prayerfully consider giving one-time or regularly to this organization. Not only is the work worthy of support, but I can vouch that the organization’s mission is solid, as is its fiscal and operating discipline.

Thank you for your consideration.