“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”
Psalm 118:22
Cornerstone 118 Ministries provides transitional housing, step-down housing, peer mentorship, vocational training, and supportive services to formerly incarcerated men in Racine & Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin — equipping them to rebuild their lives through an 18-month journey of faith, community, and practical transformation.
Hundreds of men release from correctional facilities in Racine and Kenosha Counties every year — many with no confirmed housing. One of the most powerful predictors of whether a man goes back to prison is whether he has stable housing when he gets out. Yet both counties lack a single dedicated reentry housing program.
Cornerstone 118 is not a shelter — it is an intentional 18-month journey where men rebuild their lives alongside others who understand the road, and then become guides for the men who follow. Three tiers. One pipeline. From resident to leader.
Structured housing in the primary house. Employment, Bible study, mentoring, social enterprise work at $15/hr. Stabilize. Build. Launch.
Step-down housing with increased independence. Peer mentoring incoming residents. Crew leader advancement at $17–$19/hr. Monthly discipleship cohort. Trade certifications.
Independent living in your own place. Senior mentor, enterprise foreman at $20–$22/hr, Bible study leader, community ambassador. Leading others through the journey.
Progressive discipleship from receiving to practicing to leading. Weekly Bible study, one-on-one mentoring, monthly discipleship cohort, and church connection woven into every tier.
Social enterprise with advancement: Crew Worker ($15/hr) → Crew Leader ($17–19/hr) → Enterprise Foreman ($20–22/hr). Portable trade certifications including OSHA, CDL, and EPA credentials.
Tier 2 men mentor incoming Tier 1 residents. Tier 3 men mentor the mentors. Wraparound partnerships for legal aid, counseling, and workforce development.
“At 18 months, a man who completes the full pathway has gone from a prison cell to stable housing, steady employment, financial savings, a faith community, and a leadership identity. He is not just surviving reentry — he is leading others through it.”
Your financial gift goes directly toward housing, mentoring, and launching social enterprises. Every dollar in this early season counts.
Donate NowAsk God to prepare the men, the property, the team, and the community. Pray for the men at RCI and the county jail right now.
Volunteer to meet weekly with a resident. We provide training in trauma-informed care, active listening, and spiritual mentoring.
Know a potential board member? A landlord open to second chances? An employer who hires returning citizens? Introductions change everything.
Cornerstone 118 uses Zeffy, a donation platform that is free to nonprofits. You may see an optional tip to Zeffy at checkout — this is not part of your donation to us and can be adjusted or removed. 100% of your designated gift reaches Cornerstone 118.
Joseph is a certified public accountant and ordained chaplain with Christian Chaplains & Coaching, currently completing Clinical Pastoral Education. He leads weekly Bible studies at Racine Correctional Institution and Racine County Jail, and is a member of Journey Church in Kenosha.
Cornerstone 118 grows out of years of walking with incarcerated men and seeing the urgent need for housing, community, and a pathway to leadership on the other side of the wall. The 18-month program model was born from one conviction: the men inside those walls are not just capable of change — they are capable of leading others through it.