The Indy Grace Place story begins in 1999. In August of that year I was released from the Indiana Department of Correction.

I was blessed with a smoother reentry to society than most incarcerated individuals. In less than two years I was in a position to purchase my own home, and as I thought about what I wanted, one of the parameters was something that could be used to assist other returning citizens at some point.

A few years later, one day as I awoke from sleep, I heard the Lord say to me, "I've given you what you asked for." I realized that I had three men staying with me, two of whom had recently been incarcerated. I had not gone looking for them, they had found me! At this point I began to think seriously about what it would look like to more formally develop a place of transition. In 2008, Indy Grace Place was incorporated in the State of Indiana as a not-for-profit corporation. At this point I had found several people who shared my vision of providing housing to men returning from incarceration, and the first board of directors was formed.

In the 10 intervening years, more than 60 men have resided at IGP for some period of time, ranging from a few weeks to two years. This has been a real training ground for me as founder, executive director, and house manager. At the start, there was very little formal organization, and the program is an evolving work that continues. The program is run from one home, located in a mid-north neighborhood of Indianapolis with readily available public transportation. The home is in a long-established welcoming neighborhood that provides many opportunities for service.