New Birth Missionary Baptist Church raised $120,000 to give a group of non-violent offenders a second chance just in time for Easter.
Dr. Jamal Bryant, senior pastor of the Atlanta based mega church partnered with rapper T.I. and VH1 personality Scrapp Deleon to coordinate the effort, according to OCG news.
“I could not be prouder of my New Birth family for answering the call and affirming that everyone deserves a second chance. I could think of no better way to celebrate the resurrection of Christ than to provide these young men and women with an opportunity reunite with their families, resurrect their lives and get back on the right path,” Dr. Bryant said.
At the beginning of Lent the church set out to raise $40,000 for their “Bail Out” initiative, however, the contributions far exceeded their goals.
A total of 23 non-violent and mostly first-time offenders, across four counties, were released just in time for the holiday.
The “Bail Out” program will also put participants through an eight-week support program that will include mentor matching with weekly check-ins.