By Jonathan Freeman, CFP®, CFA, CIMA®
It has been said that the opposite of addiction is connection. Pastor Jim Schambach founded M28 Ministry in 2011 to address this underlying cause of addiction. He was joined by his son, Pastor Jimmy Schambach, in 2013. M28 is a faith-based organization with the mission of “doing life” with the marginalized and disenfranchised overcoming addiction. M28 helps people find hope while moving from poverty to stability to community. They have worked with over 1,000 individuals and families struggling with poverty and addiction.
I was introduced to Pastor Jim several years ago by his nephew Joel and quickly became interested in helping M28 fulfill its mission. After meeting some of the men who, with the help of M28, had reclaimed their lives and found a new loving and accepting community, I gladly accepted the offer to join their board.
Every Sunday, M28 holds a church service in the living room of Pastor Jim and his wife, Brenda. Men and women from all walks of life join them in prayer and discussion, and this is followed by a delicious lunch. Many of the participants in this Sunday service meet with Jim or Jimmy weekly for personal life coaching. This personal connection, along with their renewed faith and the community, leads to a much lower rate of recidivism than most similar programs.
In addition to coaching and mentoring, M28 also runs the House2Home Project. Partnering with several community-based agencies, organizations and churches, the project helps families and individuals move from homeless shelters, difficult life circumstances or transitional housing by providing household goods, used furnishings and interior design services. The mission is to turn an empty living space into a welcoming home where a family or individual will feel proud of their surroundings. They will be able to spend more time and personal resources on education, employment, raising children and creating a future for themselves and their families.
There are several other programs at M28, including a food pantry and Open Table, which connects a person in poverty with several members of the community with varying experiences and personal networks.
If anyone has an interest in learning more, volunteering or donating furnishings or money, please contact Jonathan Freeman or visit www.m28.us.
Disclosure: M28 Ministry is not affiliated with Triad Advisors, LLC.
As one of the Directors of Stonebridge Financial Group, Jonathan’s goal is to help lead an organization that strives to provide the highest degree of client service, integrity, and professionalism. With disciplined investment strategies that emphasize risk-adjusted returns, cost, and tax efficiency, his objective is to help the individuals, families, corporations, and nonprofit organizations that he works with to achieve their financial goals.