A Will and Way, Inc. - Empowering Women to Break Generational Curses & To Reclaim their Families

What happens when mothers and daughters began taking over the jail cells that once were occupied by men while they were home caring for the children? What happens when these women adopt drugs to take away the pain of childhood sexual molestation, mental and physical abuse and/or poverty? The answer - our children lose their most valuable teacher, role model, nurturer.

A large number of these women when released are homeless, their children have been placed with other family members (usually in over-crowded situations), in foster homes or have migrated to the streets just to survive. The mother’s options are minimal, she’s on the street with no money, no home, family is not available to her, temporary shelters will accommodate her for a day or two and then she’s back on the street and back to her drug of choice and to committing crimes (stealing, prostituting, selling drugs just to eat and get more drugs) and usually within weeks she’s back in jail or worse found badly beaten or dead in a pit or on the side of a roadway.

A Will & Way, Inc. is a non-profit organization that offers Christian-based instruction, transitional housing, educational and employment assistance to women who are incarcerated and soon to be released. Over the last two years it has partnered with other organizations to effect positive results for women who would have no choice but to return to an old familiar life of drugs, alcohol and/or abuse and homelessness upon leaving the jail. Statistics show that there are approximately 2.5 children for every mother who is incarcerated, and that the root cause of juvenile delinquency is poverty and/or absentee or abusive parents.

The Woman to Woman, Grace Home & Grace Program are components of A Will & Way and are designed to assist the ladies during and after incarceration, they provide an a alternative to recidivism, they offer hope and provides direction. It cost much less to support organizations such as this than to continue spending billions on building and maintaining prisons and jails. Children need their parents to be whole, to be positive role models, to be parents.

L.B. a resident of the Grace Home and participant of the Grace Program says “Since being there (Grace Home) I have done so many miraculous things with my life in 1 month than in 35 years of living. This program has allowed me to see that there’s more to life than giving my mind, body and soul to Satan with the attributes and additives of drug usage. I have been drug and alcohol free for 159 days and counting.” She, like other participants have reconnected with their children and are regaining the love and support of their families as they learn to love themselves.

Therein lies the value of programs like A Will & Way, Inc. which is funded by individual and corporate donations. The organization also sponsor several fundraisers throughout the year which includes a Spaghetti Dinner (for Lunch) Sale, Yard Sales, Pre-Mother’s Day Tea and Women’s Retreat.

This organization was founded in 2002 by Williemae Stanberry, a local Real Estate Broker, Community Activist and native Pensacolian. It’s Board members consist of professional men and women who can relate to and appreciate the need and responsibility to give a hand up to as many of the women/mothers as possible.