
Juanita Edrington-Grant, M.Min.
Juanita Grant is the Founder and CEO of Christian Recovery Aftercare Ministry, Inc. She overseers all programs and administrative functions.
Upon my release from incarceration after serving over 7 years in the State Correctional Institution at Muncy, I gave my life to God in 1992, while I was in a Halfway House. I gave my life to God in Shiloh Church of God in Christ, and started working in Prison Ministry in 1995, under the leadership and guidance of my spiritual mother – Mother Thelma O. Wright. Mother Wright is Founder of the Society of Volunteer Women Ministries (SVWM) and has been providing services in the prison for the past 35 years. In 1999, Mother Wright inspired me to coordinate weekly aftercare sessions by conducting drug/alcohol spiritual support groups. These groups were conducted to provide an environment for women and men offenders to have an opportunity receive assistance with their addiction and/or personal issues and needs. Mother Wright continued to birth this ministry in me, and I began to feel a greater need for aftercare services. I began to use my business mind and my own experience with drug addiction and prison, to learn what was required to be effective in these types of services for the target population of ex-offenders, and the incarcerated. I quickly learned that many of these same individuals suffered from addiction issues and a lack of quality pre-release and re-entry services. I began researching and attending faith-based workshops offered by President Bush’s White House Faith-based Initiative.
In 2001, I began writing my vision on the services I desired to provide, to individuals whom I consider to be my peer (ex-offenders and addicts). In 2002, I began to formulate an organization and God gave me the name, "Christian Recovery Aftercare Ministry" (CRAM).
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Christian – who I am and who I always intend to be
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Recovery – what I have experienced and what I desire for others to experience
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Aftercare – what is needed on many levels, after the recovery process has started
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Ministry – regardless of what direction CRAM takes, it will always be my ministry
WHO IS JUANITA GRANT
I am a child of God, and also identify myself as a "Peer Professional" as the result of my background relative to addiction and incarceration. My success is credited to God, who I serve with all my heart. I praise and honor God, for the tremendous change in my life, as well as the direction that my life continues to take.
I also identify my life as that of the "energizer bunny"…I keep going, and going, and going…helping my peer population of offenders and those struggling with addiction. By providing these services, I am truly fulfilling God’s word: "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me"… Matthew 25:35-36
Following is a sequential of my life --- from addiction and incarceration to being blessed with success—only through the grace and mercy of God:
- 15 years of addiction and incarceration (1971 to 1986)
- 25 current years of overcoming..."and still going"
- Church Membership – Shiloh Church of God in Christ 1992 to present
- Executive Board of Shiloh Church of God in Christ since 2011
- Licensed Missionary under the National Church of God in Christ since 2004
- President – Shiloh COGIC Women’s Fellowship Department 2007-2009
- Administrative Support to the Pastor 2007-2009
- Member of the Pastor’s Aide Committee since 2002
- Masters Degree in Ministry (M.Min.) – October 2006 - Chesapeake Bible College and Seminary (Ridgley, Maryland)
- Bachelor Degree in Christian Ministry (BCM) – June 2005 - Chesapeake Bible College and Seminary (Ridgley, Maryland)
- Associate Degree Program – (completed 51 credits) Pennsylvania State University (1990-1992)
- Certificate in Business Management – Pennsylvania State University (1991)
- Paralegal Certificate - Pennsylvania State University (1990)
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Employee since 1993:
- Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation, Office of Professional Compliance (Position: Paralegal) (2006 to Present)
- Dept. of Labor & Industry, Worker’s Compensation Appeal Board (Position held: Administrative Assistant) (1997-2006)
- Dept. of Labor & Industry, Worker’s Compensation Legal Office (Positions held: Clerk Typist II, Clerk Typist III, and Secretarial Supervisor) (1993 – 1997)
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT-VOLUNTEER SERVICES-TRAINING-AWARDS
& CERTIFICATES
- Prison Ministry/Paralegal Ministry/Administrative Assistant – Society of Volunteer Women Ministry: 1995 to present
- Paralegal for Bishop Benjamin J. Ravenel, Sr., (Jurisdictional Bishop of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Church of God in Christ): 2004 to present
- Board of Director Consultant/Advisor – Berea Ministries, Inc.: 2005 to present
- Dauphin County Systems of Care: 2005 to present
- Administrative Coordinator - MAO, Inc. (Mt. Union, PA): 2005 to present
- Family Group Conference Co-Facilitator - Dauphin County Systems of Care – It Takes a Village: 2005to 2008
- Board of Director – Starting Over Recovery House: 2005 to 2007
- Community Liaison – Dept. of Correction Bridging The Gap Male Mentor Program: 2005 to2006
- PA Dept. of Corrections – Harrisburg Community Correction Center: 2005 to present
- Substance Abuse Recovery/Reentry Services – weekly sessions
- Computer Classes – weekly classes
- Orientation to new inmates – weekly sessions
- Community Service Supervisor – weekly
- Capital Region Ex-offender Support Coalition Vice Chairperson: 2006 to2007
- Capital Region Ex-offender Support Coalition Member: 2006 to present
- Computer Instructor – Woodside Female Work Release Center: 2007 to 2008
- Instructor – SAVE (Spiritual Awareness Vocational Education) Pre-release/Re-entry Class – State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill Prison for men, under the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections: 2005 to present
- Instructor – The Partnership Re-entry services – State Correctional Institution at Muncy for Women: 2007 to present
- Member - Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole Community Action
Committee: 2009 to present
- Capital Region Ex-offender Support Fundraiser Chairperson: 2009 to present
- Shiloh Center for Community Outreach: Board of Director - 2009 to
present
- HIV/AIDS Provider (testing, pre/post counseling) Approved
through PA Department of Health: 2010
- Harrisburg Police Athletic League (PAL) Committee - 2011 to present
- Featured in Reader’s Digest February 2009 Issue
- Harrisburg Rotary Club - Above Self Volunteer Award: 2009
- Jefferson Award for Dauphin County, Pennsylvania: 2009
- Volunteer of the Year – Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (SCI-Camp Hill): 2005
- Volunteer of the Year – Pennsylvania Department of Correctional - Community Correction Centers (Harrisburg): 2007
- Dauphin County Collaborative Board - Measuring Outcome & Project Logic Model Training Certificate: 2006
- Grant Reviewer for the Institute for Youth Development: 2006 and 2007
- Board of Director, Nia Alliance, Bridgeport, Connecticut: 2011 to present
WORKSHOP PRESENTER
Widener School of Law Panelist (Re-entry Summit-Best
Practices) - September 13, 2011
Keynote Speaker: Martin Luther King Family Life
Center of Lebanon, PA - 2011 Annual Banquet
Presenter/Speaker: National Career Development Association
- 2009 Conference: Defender/Offender Workforce Development - Workshop Presenter – Funds for Nonprofits Serving Ex-offenders
Presenter/Speaker: American Correctional Association
- 2008 Winter Conference: Workshop Presenter – My Sister’s Keeper
Workshop Presenter: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Jurisdiction 88th & 89th State Convocations for the Church of God in Christ: 2008 & 2009
- Workshop 1: Incorporating Your Vision
- Workshop 2: Completing the 501c3 Application
- Workshop 3: Funds For Your Outreach/Ministry/Church
- Workshop 4: Grant Writing
- Workshop 5: Prison & Addiction Ministry
Keynote Speaker: Thresholds in Delaware County: 2009 Annual Dinner
Presenter/Speaker State Correctional Institution at Huntingdon
- 2009 Annual Day of Responsibility
NON-PROFIT CONSULTING SERVICES
(Assists with developing and writing program descriptions, vision and mission statements, articles of incorporations, bylaws, 501(c)(3) applications and grant writing)
- 2011: Singleton Education & Community Services, Inc.
- 2011: Robert Matthew Jackson Veterans Center, Inc. (Harrisburg,
PA)
- 2010: Abundant Life Ministries, Inc. (York, PA)
- 2010: TLC Work-based Training, Inc. (Harrisburg, PA)
- 2010: S.T.R.I.V.E. (Harrisburg, PA)
- 2010: Mary Alexander Outreach, Inc. (Mt. Union, PA)
- 2010: Hope From An Angel, Inc. (Harrisburg, PA)
- 2009: Turning Point Transitional Services, Inc. (York, PA)
- 2009: Linda’s Youth Services, Inc.
- 2009: Church of God in Christ of Pennsylvania
- 2009: Shiloh Center for Community Outreach, Inc.
- 2008: Christian Love Ministries, Inc. (Day Care)
- 2008: Tabernacle Outreach Ministries COGIC (Lancaster, PA)
- 2008: Church & Community Empowering Enterprises, Inc. (CCEE)
- 2008: Kera’s House – Housing for Ex-offenders
- 2008: Chesapeake Bible College & Seminary – Religious School
- 2008: Lingo Memorial Community Outreach Services, Inc.
- 2008: S.A.E. Housing Program – Hard to place individuals
- 2007: New Africa Islamic Outreach Program, Inc. – Islamic outreach services
- 2007: Oxford Street Enterprises, Inc. (Philadelphia, PA) – youth outreach services
- 2007: Dream Makers Transport, Inc. – youth outreach services
- 2007: Inspire~Inspirit, Inc. – youth outreach services
- 2007: Aids Alert, Inc. – Aids awareness outreach services
- 2007: CE&J Outreach Services (Parkesburg, PA) community outreach services
- 2006: Angels of Faith Youth Transitional Facility – youth transitional services
- 2006: Starting Over Recovery House, Inc. – women transitional services
- 2006: Lori’s Retail and Transitional Services, Inc. – ex-offender transitional services
- 2006: Leap For Joy, Inc. – youth outreach services
- 2005: Berea Ministries Inc. – community-based and faith-based outreach services
