| Check out Better Futures' Social Impact Video!
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Deconstruction vs. Demolition
For private owners, deconstruction is typically less expensive than demolition. The donation of building materials to Better Futures results in a tax deduction and leaves less waste to be hauled away.
Why Use Our Services?
Better Futures deconstruction services reduces project costs, preserves natural resources, and creates jobs.
Contact Tim today to learn how deconstruction can add value to your project and our mission.
> Check out our "Deconstructing Buildings and Reconstructing Lives in Minnesota" blog
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 Irish Impact Conference Awards Social Entrepreneur of the Year
This year at the Notre Dame Social Irish Impact conference Steve Thomas received the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The university was proud to recognize one of its own alumni for this honor.
In their announcement, the university writes: "The Irish Impact Awards recognizes an institutional or community partner, distinguished alumni, faculty administrator and/or student who has demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit and significant social impact."
"This year's awardee - Steve Thomas (ND '78) of Better Futures Minnesota - embodies the multitudinal topics related to Irish Impact. He built Better Futures Minnesota from the ground up, created scalable and replicable social impact, fought for financial sustainability, and acted as a true agent for change. He is impassioned and visionary, and is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to fighting for the human dignity of high-risk men with a history of mental illness and/or incarceration."
> Read the full blog
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| Reframing the Problem: Healing Core Hurts
Better Futures intentionally engages high-risk adult men, living in chronic poverty with histories of incarceration, homelessness, persistent unemployment, behavioral health issues, and untreated physical health conditions. Economic forces hinder their ability to work and be productive, even more so since the Great Recession.
These men face circumstances and systems that keep them locked out of mainstream society and locked into a cycle of dependency on public services.
This vicious cycle comes with enormous costs to the men, their families, our society, and public sector budgets; it is not sustainable.
The problem we are trying to solve, however, is not a re-entry problem. Many of the men we embrace have been isolated for most of their lives; they have never really been connected to mainstream society. We view their circumstances as a public health problem that originates in the core hurts and trauma experienced by the men we serve. Their lives have been marked by chaos, violence, and loss---experiences that contribute to mental and physical health problems, feelings of devaluation and rage, with attendant anti-social behavior, and lost human potential. These men have done some bad things, but they are not inherently bad people. Like all of us, they need to take responsibility for their past and healing from the trauma of their earlier lives is essential before they can succeed as workers, students, fathers, and community members.
Consequently, we continue to refine our model as a public health intervention, based on our growing understanding of our participants' life experiences and emerging scholarship defining violence and depravation as a problem demanding a public health response. We believe a public health response addresses the root causes of our men's challenges and leads to more thorough and effective remedies.
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| Leadership Change at Better Futures
Darryl Lindsey has resigned from his position as Chief Operating Officer at Better Futures Minnesota.
Since our early days, Darryl dedicated his time and talent toward making our endeavor into a high performing enterprise. His leadership and spirit helped to make Better Futures into a strong, accountable experience for the men we serve. He leaves a great legacy and we are grateful for his many contributions.
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Joining Better Futures Changed My Life
Robert Gentry, Better Futures participant, remembers the exact date he joined-April 4th, 2011-because "that's when my life was taken to another stage."
Prior to serving five years in jail, Robert Gentry was, in his words, "a gang banger, drug user, and a thief." During his
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time in jail, he came to the conclusion that he didn't want to get in trouble anymore and needed a change. He heard about Better Futures from a friend, and eager to change, called a few months before getting out. Upon being released, he came straight to Better Futures' offices.
He believes that the thing Better Futures helped him with the most was his thinking. By talking through problems with others, including Sheronda, his life coach, and utilizing their input, he is able to see that other ways of doing things might make more sense. This improved thinking has translated into better actions. "I used to steal everything, and now I won't steal nothing," he says with a proud smile. He has a full-time job and talks with his daughter every day. After his grandmother suffered a stroke, he moved in with her to take care of her.
Our community of men engaged in Better Futures has also helped him from slipping back into his old ways. He comments, "It's really a good community for a person who's looking for better." The people involved with Better Futures have strengthened his resolve to stay away from the bad influences he was around in the past.
Explaining why he chose to remain engaged with Better Futures even after finding housing and a job outside of the organization, he said "I liked the support here. I figured if I use [drugs], I'm gonna lose all this. As a kid, I ain't never had a lot, but I feel like this is mine, so I wanna hold on to it. The people at Better Futures are adders and multipliers in my life; they add to my life, add to my good stuff. I can't mess with nobody who's a take away or a divider in my life; I can't deal with those types of people, otherwise I'm gonna be locked up, be away 20, 30 years."
While Better Futures played a large role in transforming his life, Robert also worked hard to get where he is. His determination to turn things around, which started even before he was released, was instrumental. "This Enterprise is good for a person who wants change--if you don't want change it's really not the place for you."
Reflecting on his time at Better Futures, he states "I didn't really understand the name until I got into the enterprise, y'know, 'Better Futures.' That's what it's doing for me-it's making me have a future, outside of looking at jail."
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Thank You for Your Support
Thank you to the following foundations who awarded grants to Better Futures during the past quarter. We are a grateful for their support as we continue to grow and improve our innovative new model of success.
- Wells Fargo
- Thrivent
- Otto Bremer
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