The Vision That Started it All

Dennis Shawhan saw a desperate community need and heeded a spiritual calling. At the time the ministry was established, prison ministry services were disappearing. Dennis had come to faith through the outreach ministry in Summit County Jail and he wanted to share the love of God with other men and women. In studying The Great Commission highlighted in Matthew 28:18-20, he realized that his calling was to foster personal transformation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Summit County.

What started as a jail and prison ministry has expanded to include a workforce development program and a certified women’s residential recovery home. These Restorative Justice programs emphasize community collaboration, support services, identity restoration, accountability, and restitution.  

An ordained minister since 1994, John Wiseman joined Broken Chains Ministry in 2007 after serving as a Chaplain in the Summit County Jail for 25 years. He was named Business Manager for the organization and Urbean Cafe in 2012.

John was eager to help returning citizens establish stable Christ-centered work. Urbean Cafe helps fulfill the mission of the ministry by building deep trust-centered relationships and helping people develop skills that help them succeed in the workforce.

Learn about John’s work and watch him receive a special award of recognition for his decades of distinguished service to the ministry and the community.

Tamela Shawhan is the Director of Operations and an Ohio Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist at Lydia's Home. Tamela felt called to serve Lydia’s Home because of her life-changing experience in a Christ-centered transitional home and the great need for this kind of recovery program in Summit County.

By giving women the tools and resources they will need to live a Christ-centered life of sobriety, the program helps women discover a new identity in Christ.

Founded by executive director Dennis Shawhan, Broken Chains Ministry is a successful example of Restorative Justice in Summit County that has contributed more than $6.75 million in economic impact and saved Ohio taxpayers more than $3 million since 2004.

In addition to our prison ministry, Restorative Justice programs like Urbean Cafe and Lydia’s Home have helped many formerly-incarcerated citizens overcome barriers to successful reentry and recovery.

Urbean Café has exceeded $6.75 million in economic impact to Summit County since 2011.

This workforce development program has also saved Ohio taxpayers more than $3 million in direct costs because the employee recidivism rate is less than 2%.

More than 135 individuals have achieved workforce readiness and successful reentry through this Restorative Justice program. Learn more and check out our full menu of freshly made food including our famous homemade carrot cake with cream cheese icing and signature roast coffee.

Illicit fentanyl was involved in 81% of overdose deaths in Ohio in 2020, often in drug combinations. That same year, fentanyl-related deaths increased by 32%.

Between May and September 2022, the DEA and its law enforcement partners seized 4.7 million deadly doses (Justice.gov, 2022). 

“Across the country and particularly here, in Northern Ohio, we have witnessed, firsthand, the proliferation of fentanyl and the devastating effects it has had on our neighbors and loved ones,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler.

Women recovering from substance abuse and incarceration have unique needs, and recovery programs differ in the ways they help women succeed.

As a certified Level III recovery home, Lydia’s Home offers a unique curriculum-based and faith-centered approach to women’s recovery that provides layers of supports to foster long-term success. This multi-layer approach aligns with recommendations by the Ohio Council of Behavioral Health, Family Services Providers, and the Center for Social Innovation.  

This kind of program is also the most difficult to fund. And, requires collaboration with established systems of care and community members.

Thanks to Wayside Furniture, your donation of up to $100* will be DOUBLED when you drop off your donation to Wayside Café at 1367 Canton Rd. in Akron November 25-27. Call 330-733-6221 for hours and details, or visit www.wayside-furniture.com for hours and information.

Congratulations to Lydia’s Home as it celebrates its five-year anniversary. Now, Lydia’s Home has served 30 residents, and half have fully completed the program, which is incredible. Many Lydia’s Home residents have been reunited with their children and families, obtained full-time employment, and become active members of the community and a local church family, and have transformed their lives through this program.

In 2020, Lydia’s Home received its State of Ohio Certification from Ohio Recovery Housing (ORH) as a Level III Recovery Residence, and meets national standards of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR.)

Join us on August 31 as we honor International Overdose Awareness Day.

This is a day of remembrance, tribute, reflection, and commitment to help end overdose deaths and injury, and to remember without stigma those who have died while honoring the those who grieve.

Overdose is one of the world’s worst public health crises. The international awareness campaign acknowledges the profound grief resulting from death or permanent injury caused by drug overdose, including that of friends, family and community. Help us spread the message that overdose is a preventable tragedy.