Dinner is the centerpiece of our day. At the Dismas table, residents, staff, and volunteers from the community come together as equals. Dinner is the time when barriers are reduced and fears are replaced by concern as volunteers, students, former prisoners, and staff come to know each other in this family setting.

This process helps residents develop and practice social skills that may have never been learned or were lost while in prison.

All residents are expected to work or go to school. They must pay program fees, help with house chores, attend a weekly house meeting, and participate in evening meals.

Volunteers from the community contribute in many ways. From cooking dinner and repairing the house to supporting and advising residents and staff, volunteer involvement is the foundation of the Dismas community.

House staff, hired by the local Board of Directors, is made up of a Director and Assistant Director. Their duties include interviewing prospective residents, supporting former prisoners, overseeing the nightly dinners, coordinating volunteer programs, collecting program fees and fundraising.