February 2021

An Open Letter Friends and Supporters of New Path Center,

It seems the older one gets, the harder it is to remember things, like what one did last month or last summer. Yet, without a doubt, we remember exactly what we were doing sixteen years ago. It was when the dream of founding a nonprofit, to meet the needs of those who experience difficult life situations, became a reality. We trained and planned for this ministry to be how we spent the second-half of our lives, after our careers had ended. In 2005, New Path Center (NPC), as a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit, was born.

Being a volunteer community mediator since 1992, Tony was convinced that there was a need to bring the option of Restorative Justice to our community. Showing juvenile offenders a restorative path with their victim has been his personal joy for almost three decades. Those who participated in NPC’s Community Justice Conferences maintained a less than 3% recidivism rate, well below the rate of 18% for juvenile offenders who chose not to participate. Working with Kingsburg Police Department, first time juvenile offenders were given the option of experiencing grace and becoming accountable for their offenses. Additionally, NPC became a place for individuals, families, and organizations to discover reasonable, respectful, restorative, and redemptive pathways through conflict, leading to reconciliation.

The death of our son, Scott, in early 1996 left us searching for resources to help us on this new and uncertain journey of grief. We chose to be trained by Dr. Alan Wolfelt at the Center for Loss in Fort Collins, CO, and become certificated in death and grief studies. What we learned through hours of training helped us experience peace with loss, and we realized that the ministry of NPC would need to be a safe place of hope for those who grieve. Many have entrusted us with their burden of grief through the years, and it has been our privilege to help them reconcile these losses. We have also been able to teach Biblical Griefwork in churches and schools both in California and internationally.

Within a few years of opening the doors at NPC, we realized that some who came to NPC were in need of professional counseling. We asked a member of our board who was a Licensed Clinical Social Worker if he would begin seeing clients whose needs were better met through therapeutic counseling. As his calendar filled with clients, we welcomed a MFT Intern to begin her supervised hours with him, and be available to share his caseload. As the number of clients increased, the counseling ministry of NPC continued to grow with up to twelve independent therapists seeing clients at our office, addressing the spiritual development, mental health, and personal growth needs of individuals and families.

NPC was our vision but it has always been and will continue to be you, our donors, who have taken up this vision and truly made this ministry what it is today. With your financial and prayer support, you have made the above facets of ministry possible.

Because of your faithful financial partnership, we have been able to consistently make help accessible to everyone regardless of their financial circumstances. Without these donations many individuals, couples, and families would continue in needless suffering instead of experiencing healing. We work hand-in-hand with other agencies to bring a brighter future for an abundant community.

The older we get we also recognize the time has come for us to hand over the leadership of the ministry of NPC to those who share our vision. We have worked with our amazing NPC Board on a smooth leadership transition plan. And we believe it is God who brought this to pass at this time.

Remember the Board member who took our first counseling clients several years ago? His name is Tim Zavala, LCSW. He has worked in mental health services his entire career. He will move from Board Vice President to President and Executive Director. The Board has chosen him to lead NPC into the future.

Andrew Cantu began as a volunteer intern at NPC several years ago as a student of Peacemaking and Conflict Studies (PACS). Within a short period of time our Board hired Andrew as a paid intern. In addition to having a certificate in PACS, Andrew has a degree in Criminology from CSUF. He is finishing up his graduate work in Marriage and Family Counseling at Fresno Pacific University. He will now be serving as our Board Vice President, assisting Tim in leading the Restorative Justice practice at NPC.

Graciously, the Board has bestowed on Tony the title of President Emeritus. Although we are retiring from our roles of leadership at NPC, Tony retains this title, with honor. Emeritus comes from a Latin word which originally described a soldier who had completed his duty. It is used more broadly today to mean one who has served out his term, but continues to serve. Both of us will continue to serve NPC as advisors to the Board as we retire in Oregon near our daughter and family. It was our ministry dream. It is with great excitement that we see what was dreamt of continue to do great work with those who experience life’s difficult situations. It is our hope that many of you will continue to support the ministry of NPC.

Continuing in His Grip,

Tony and Bonnie Redfern