Since 1995, HighPoint Community Services Association (HCSA) has been helping drug addicts, ex-offenders, disadvantaged children, the mentally challenged, the elderly and disaster victims.
HCSA is affiliated to Community of Praise Baptist Church, and Reverend Daniel Jesudason is the Executive Director of HighPoint. He shares more about how highPoint helps to rebuild broken lives.
Daniel, what is the objective of HighPoint Community Services Association (HCSA)?
We aim to help alleviate poverty, suffering and handicap whether physical or mental, to people of all ages, races, nationality and religion. And this is achieved by providing assistance or services in education, skills training, rehabilitation and counseling to address life or family related issues.
Can you share more about The HighPoint Halfway House?
The HighPoint Halfway House provides a safe rehabilitation centre for male ex-offenders who are addicted to drugs as well as other destructive behaviours. We always interview the person to see if he is sincere and determined to make a change for the better as we are fully committed to helping them and we ensure that there is a conducive environment for them to succeed in rebuilding their lives through the programs at HighPoint.
What is their rehabilitation program like?
Once accepted, the residents undergo a holistic training program where we address their individual recovery needs through counseling and group work. We also work on helping them to reconcile with their families so that they can eventually live a wholesome life as they re-integrate back into society. The other important component of our program is to provide life skills’ preparation and on-the-job training to help them reintegrate back to society via the social enterprise hub at HCSA, which is located at No. 1 Geylang Lorong 23.
HighPoint operates the following social enterprise businesses at the social enterprise hub:
There are other organizations who rent units on our premises who also help to provide skills training and jobs to ex-offenders and the needy such as HiShine care wash, HiCool air-conditioning service, Studio U souvenir products made by the handicapped, Healthserve clinic who provide cheap medical service to the poor and needy and Crosspoint vocational centre involved in exhibits and interior design work.
HighPoint Movers
Hi-Thrift
HighPoint Rag and Bone Services
HighPoint Movers
We provide moving services for the public and this helps to fund us and also provides those undergoing rehabilitation an opportunity to develop discipline and effective work skills to rebuild their self-esteem and earn a small wage.
Hi-Thrift
Hi-Thrift is our thrift store that sells used goods items. The items range from accessories, books, clothing, decorative household items, furniture and electrical goods.
HighPoint Rag and Bone Services
HighPoint Rag and Bone service collects old clothes, newspapers and unusable items which cannot be sold. These items will be sold to re-cycling plants and the income earned is channeled to help sustain the recovery programs for our ex-offenders.
Why is it good to support HighPoint?
It may seem quite hard to sympathize with men who have committed crimes, but it’s also important to understand that by helping these ex-offenders to rehabilitate, we are enabling them to share their testimonies with others (particularly youth) that a life of crime does not pay. This is further emphasized in the fact that having strong role models for young men is very important to a society’s stability.
Ex-offenders trained by HighPoint will be entering into a competitive world to try to succeed. They have lost many years and often face difficulties in sustaining a job for a long term period. If we are not able to give them due credit and support their businesses, they will not succeed in life.
Their efforts at working hard and making a difference for themselves and their families deserves our help and support for their jobs and careers. They are willing to give it their best shot, but we should also give them a chance to succeed.
Rebuilding the broken lives of ex-offenders through HighPoint not only helps them rehabilitate and sustain an independent, dignified life but they also give back to society, HighPoint ex-offenders work with other HighPoint volunteers from society in helping disadvantaged children, the mentally challenged, and the elderly. They have also helped overseas in rebuilding broken lives of post-tsunami communities in Aceh.
Therefore helping HighPoint not only rebuilds broken lives but reforms them to be an inspiration to society as they give back to society and play their part in helping other ex-offenders, and the poor and needy to rebuild their lives.
How can the public help highPoint?
Members of the public and business organizations can help us by:
1)
Donating – funds to help keep our activities and programs
2)
Volunteering –
HighPoint Dayspring help for women
Since June 2006, women volunteers from HighPoint started HighPoint DaySpring to help women in need, especially ex-offenders. Through friendship, counseling, networking activities and life-skill training, the women in turn are empowered to help other women in trouble.
These women are mentored towards holistic development and personal growth.
Tuition for children
HighPoint volunteers help give tuition to primary school and secondary school children from families at Clementi and Jamiyah Children’s home. They also organize trips to bring the children out for a fun time.
Visiting the elderly
HighPoint volunteers visit poor elderly folks, giving them encouragement, a listening ear, and practical help to their problems and other needs in whichever way possible.
Testimony of a HighPoint client
Caleb is 40 years old and has been in and out of prison the last 20 years for offences such as theft and housebreaking.
His life reached the lowest point when his family members severed ties with him, and his wife divorced him. Caleb also has a 16 year old son whom he hardly knows because he was in prison for long periods of time while his son was growing up.
A year ago, Caleb decided that he wanted to turn over a new leaf for good, and decided to enter the highPoint Halfway House program for ex-offenders.
Caleb is grateful for the help that he’s received from the supportive staff at highPoint and says that his life has taken a big step for the better – enabling him to acknowledge his past mistakes and equipping him with the tools to rehabilitate himself and slowly work towards being a useful member of society again.
3)
Help get employment for ex-offenders -
Ex-offenders have difficulty finding jobs, and the only way for them to succeed is if society gives them a second chance. If you or others you know can help provide jobs, Highpoint will help to work out a career plan and training to prepare ex-offenders to succeed in those jobs for a win-win situation.
Does HighPoint also do relief work?
Yes, we do. After the 2004 tsunami, we sent volunteer teams monthly to Aceh, Indonesia, for disaster relief work and community development. Since then, three life-skills training centers have been established in North Aceh to help rebuild the lives of the victims.
HCSA has also sent full time volunteers to India to give help to poorer communities to grow and develop economically and socially.
