A few weeks ago, I joined the men at Covington, one of our transition homes in Houston, for dinner. It was a wonderful opportunity to discuss their experience of re-entering our community, which feels like one of the most difficult things a person can do. Everything feels like an emergency, and nothing moves as fast as one would like. I heard about the difficulties obtaining IDs necessary for employment, looking for work, adjusting to more choices in one day than they might have had in a month of incarceration, navigating relationships, and doubting themselves. That said, these men are determined to break the cycle of their previous life. One man spoke of the job he earned, which required him to ride his bicycle four hours to get there because there is no direct bus route! His story was one of several I heard that night. I’m a new paragraph block.
This past month has been a busy one for PEP: we revised the eSchool Sponsor training manuals and wrote new role descriptions so volunteers have clear guidelines and expectations. We are building new partnerships with other non-profits that can support the needs of our men, and we are documenting them with MOUs that will be made available to volunteers. We are taking a new look at old practices that we know have worked and are renewing them for a new implementation.
Day-to-day, PEP is a staff of 35 doing the work of at least 70, alongside volunteers who do the work of full-time staff. Just this past week alone, in addition to our staff retreat, North Texas hosted its largest BAM (Big Aspiration Mingle) event at the University of Texas-Dallas campus, while Houston celebrated Luis Chavez as Entrepreneur of the Year, Raymond Herrera as Servant-Leader of the Year and Diana Massaro as Volunteer of the Year in a room full of eSchool graduates and their guests (we had 42 graduates present this year, up by 10 from last year).
Our Family Restoration Team shared that for next week’s graduation at Estes, one out of every five registered guests is a child. That includes a participant’s fiancée and almost two year-old son who, were it not for PEP’s financial assistance, would have been unable to attend graduation. They live out of state, and this will be a first-ever flight for them and the first time our participant will have seen his son since he was five months old.
So far, we already have 102 eSchool graduates compared to 87 total last year; and in Q3 alone, we held 20 transition house dinners (compared to 52 total in Q1 and Q2)
In our pilot program at the Estelle Unit in Huntsville, we have 108 out of 126 men in the “pod” (cohort) activated, with 57% of those men are eligible for full in-prison BPC program in the future, This pod is also the number one pod on unit as far as compliance goes, and the team has already seen the culture shift after just two months.
In our support of PEP businesses launched, we are currently bookkeeping for 21 clients. We have offered over 500 billable hours of bookkeeping service so far this year, with PEP providing over 240 hours of free bookkeeping services to participants since the first of the year. We have also helped 18 new business file for their LLC and EIN numbers this year alone.
At Entre Capital, $461,000 has been funded through 15 loans, six to PEP alumni and 9 to outside returning citizens. The team has also processed 107 loan readiness assessments since the launch of this new program in July. This process is, as the name suggests, meant to gauge the readiness of a borrower prior to application. Most importantly, if a borrower is not ready, we provide feedback and action plan as to what is needed to be ready.
As we looked ahead, the team took some time on retreat this past week. I asked them to think about our culture – the one we have and the one we need in order to accomplish all that is in front of us by thinking through what is working, not working and what is missing? Of course, improvements are needed in some areas, but overall the team spoke highly of their missional alignment, faith focus and values. These will serve us well moving forward.
Moving forward, we are implementing a new volunteer management platform to increase the level of engagement with many of you while offering you more control to manage your participation. Additionally, we are promoting incentivized monthly donor tiers and corporate sponsorship strategies which will offer a deeper level of engagement to those who wish to participate and preparing a wish list for the end of the year giving campaign. Much of my own time is working with the Board of Directors to ensure we have a clear strategy in place to maximize the opportunities ahead of us, which we can and will do with your help.
Thank you for all that you do. As always, please reach out to me at cvalka@pep.org should you have any questions, concerns, or just want to talk.
Blessings,
Chris
Houston Events
October 28, 2025
Big Aspiration Mingle
Provide quality feedback on participants’ business models that will encourage participants to improve and continually develop ideas; to serve as a business coach to further develop business ideas; Networking with participants and other attendees.
October 31, 2025
Big Idea Pitch Event
Round 1: Bell Winter 2026 Business Plan Competition
Judge individual participants on new business ideas from the lens of a consumer (i.e. Is the idea innovative? Is there a market?) Teams will be formed to move forward with the top ideas.
November 25, 2025
Networking Workshop
In conjunction with eSchool, executive volunteers are invited to a monthly networking event with our participants. The event aims to connect you with eSchool participants and support them in developing their vision, creating a resume, leveraging LinkedIn, etc…
North Texas Events
October 28, 2025
Networking Workshop
In conjunction with eSchool, executive volunteers are invited to a monthly networking event with our participants. The event aims to connect you with eSchool participants and support them in developing their vision, creating a resume, leveraging LinkedIn, etc…
November 21, 2025
Big Idea Pitch Event
Round 1: Estes Winter 2026 Business Plan Competition
Judge individual participants on new business ideas from the lens of a consumer (i.e. Is the idea innovative? Is there a market?) Teams will be formed to move forward with the top ideas.
November 25, 2025
Networking Workshop
In conjunction with eSchool, executive volunteers are invited to a monthly networking event with our participants. The event aims to connect you with eSchool participants and support them in developing their vision, creating a resume, leveraging LinkedIn, etc…
PEP CLUBHOUSE BLOG
PEP volunteers are now sharing their voices beyond the classroom in PEP Clubhouse, and they are writing about their experiences with PEP, life lessons, and the issues that matter most.
Why Are You Here?
What Is Your Purpose?
If you want a different life when you walk out of those gates, you must answer two hard questions: Why are you here? What is your purpose? Without those answers, you might succeed at something—but you will fail at most things. Why? Because you cannot arrive unless you know where you’re going.
Change starts in your mind before it shows up in your life. This means building a long-term plan; a roadmap that’s worthy of your effort. It will not be easy. It will cost you something. But if you want freedom, real freedom, you must decide who you want to be and where you want to go.
Start with three powerful tools: Mission, Vision, and Values.
Mission: Where Are You Going?
Your mission is your destination. Not the next stop—the end game. Think about direction, not just details. Do you want to move to the East or West? Do you want to be a doctor, a business owner, a mentor? Answer these questions—Write it down.
Focus: What “big picture” future do you want? Be specific!
Strategy: What does “arriving” look like for you? Financial independence? A restored family? A respected career?
Present: Where are you right now, and what do you need to start moving forward?
Vision: How Will You Get There?
If the mission is your destination, the vision is your route. Two men can have the same mission but different visions. One aims for Miami, another for New York. One becomes a Business owner, another a Vice President. Both are successful, but their paths differ.
Direction: How will you travel your chosen road?
Goals: Break it down. Education, training, networking—specific, measurable steps.
Future: Will this journey be fast or slow? Will it start small or big?
Values: What Will You Give Up to Get There?
Every choice has a cost. Your values define that cost before life forces it on you. They also define who you will be when you arrive.
Behavior: Will you lead by serving or by stepping on others?
Beliefs: Will you cut corners or stay true to your character (the 10 Driving Values)?
Culture: Will you walk alone or build and lead a community?
When you know your Mission, Vision, and Values, you stop drifting. You start steering. Life won’t get easier, but it will get clearer. And clarity is power.
So, ask yourself today: Why am I here? What is my purpose? Then start writing your plan. Your future depends on it.
THE PARTICIPANT’S VOICE
PEP has been the catalyst I needed to change my thought process and teach me values that give my life direction.
WHEN I READ this quote by UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, it reminded me of a time when reputation was something I valued more than my character. PEP has been the catalyst I needed to change my thought process and teach me values that give my life direction. It assists in teaching great leadership skills and guiding us to a more positive life. Before this program, many of us were very selfish, lost, destructive and wanted the “street life” reputation rather than good character. PEP provides the mind-shifting element necessary to shed light on the real truth: character is the foundation of a righteous, happy and successful life. Our volunteers, Servant-Leaders and in-prison management team make this possible. But more importantly, they generate effectiveness and hope.
The lifestyle from our past only leads to one of two places, and sometimes both: prison and death.
Hurting the ones we love and putting strains on our communities as a whole are consequences of those with no direction or values who are often lost to vices and selfishness. I’ve had the misfortune of experiencing this hopelessness first hand.
A family member once told me, “People are most affected by stories of people who made the transition from darkness to light.” They can teach the world that hope is attainable and direction is achievable. Being destructive, lost and alone does not have to be your way of life. PEP can help you build immaculate character if you allow it. Through hard work and dedication, the lost can be found, the bad can do good, the broken can be fixed, and the life of darkness can be overcome by the Light of God.
We are a unit. We are a people. We are survivors. Together with God, we can overcome any obstacle or hardship. Together we rise!
-Pablo S.
