Sandy Finelli-Nishimoto

The story, as I heard it, goes like this…four or five original KAIROS members were sitting around the table drinking coffee and probably eating donuts. Now, as we all know, when members of KAIROS and Dios Con Cristo hang out, they talk about their passion - their ministry. So, these KAIROS folks were talking about the inmates and what happens to them when they get out of prison. These folks had been moving the inmates into their homes, but that didn’t seem to be working. Apparently, the inmates needed more structure than people could provide for them in their homes. So, the discussion was about what to do with the inmates after prison and how to continue to share the love of God in a compassionate way. Someone, I never heard who it was, suggested renting a house and turning it into a starting point once the inmates became outmates.

Can you imagine what uncertainties inmates face when they are finally released from prison? They’ve been locked up, sometimes for years, in an environment that breeds anger, resentfulness and contempt. Then, in the midst of all this ugliness, comes a bunch of Christians, walking across the prison yard singing, “God loves you, and I love you, and that’s the way it’s gonna be.” Most inmates think the KAIROS folks are a bit crazy. Really now, what sane person would walk fearlessly across the prison grounds singing about the love of God? But that’s what KAIROS is about – the love of God.
Just the fact that the KAIROS folks care enough to go into the prison gives me chills up and down my spine. Many inmates have never before experienced the complete and total love, compassion, forgiveness and acceptance the KAIROS folks so freely give.

Anyway, back to the story. KAIROS decided it would be a good idea to rent a house for the inmates. They struggled to find the money to pay the first months rent. They searched for a house, prayed and trusted God. And wouldn’t you know it…the money just appeared one day and they signed a lease on a small three-bedroom house over on Ridge Street in Reno. Thus, the Ridge House was born.
Now all this happened way back in 1981 – over 18 yeas ago. I just bet they never imagined Ridge House would grow into what it is today.

Today, the Ridge House is a State Accreditated and fully Licensed Treatment Facility, the preferred provider by criminal justice professionals, the lead organization in the Statewide Halfway House Collaborative and the fiscal agent for the Northern Nevada Substance Abuse Collaborative. For the clients, Ridge House provides Licensed Substance Abuse Counselors, anger management classes, abuse issue groups and individual counseling, vocational training, computer literacy classes, parenting classes and recreational therapy. All the services provided are too many to list in this short space.

Some of those original KAIROS and Dios Con Cristo members are still involved in Ridge House today. It has been through their vision that change has truly been created in our community. In fact, according to Bernie Anderson, 87% of former offenders return to prison within three years of release. Ridge House clients only return 24% of the time during this same period. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the cost to Nevada taxpayers per year for an individual inmate is $23,367. Using this figure, for every 43 clients treated that remain free from incarceration, taxpayers are saved $1 million dollars.

Margaret Mead was truly accurate when she said “Never doubt a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”