80 Strong Community Outreach

80 Strong Community Outreach helps women who have had prior negative involvement with the criminal justice system and substance abuse issues. Our organization assists our participants with provisions necessary to live a drug and crime free life. Our mission is to pick up those who are cast down and counted out by repairing the breach and restoring hope to the hopeless, extending God’s love to those who are left behind. 

80 Strong, (the number eight represents new beginnings and the zero represents being powerful in numbers), is a non-profit organization that has overcome and defied all odds with Christ Jesus!  The vision was given to the founder, Mary Johnson, in September of 1997, and came into existence in July of 2006.  Our primary mission (but not limited to) is to help women who have been incarcerated with provisions necessary to survive and stay out of prison, such as food, clothes, shelter, employment referrals and to provide spiritual guidance;  lack of these basic provisions are factors that contribute to the great number of repeat offenders. 

We believe that supporting these individuals and exhibiting that a drug and crime free, successful life is not easy, but attainable, that they too, can be delivered.  In doing this, we believe that the hopeless shall find hope, discover their potential and succeed beyond all odds.  Although society places a stigma on these individuals as ex-cons, we believe that given another chance, they can rise above adversity.  We care and are willing to help in whatever way we can, be it encouraging words, prayer or just a supportive shoulder. 

We have been allowed the opportunity to lead in the area of intervention through our effective mentoring program. Through mentoring, we are supporting and encouraging disadvantaged women through our current partnership with the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative (MPRI), in hopes that we may positively impact their lives, ultimately deterring them from jail, institutions and even death. 

Our long-term goal is to facilitate our own transitional houses for women.