Joanne Stehura

Community Pastor, Women's Jail Ministry

 
Joanne is originally from Sheffield Village, Ohio - about 20 minutes west of Cleveland. Married almost 35 years, she has four grown sons. Joanne is a retired nurse who previously worked in Maternity/Labor and Delivery, Employee Health, and Diabetes Education. She is currently self-employed as a Massage Therapist and began working with BLOC in October of 2014.

Realizing a need for women in our Weightless Anchor program to be visited when they were in jail, Joanne saw this was a prime time to visit them - when they were sober, clean, and not distracted.  She saw the opportunity to speak to these broken women about matters of faith and to introduce thoughts on how their lives could change, if they wanted something different and better than their previous experiences.  Joanne also partners with Lisa Jones in BLOC's Girls Wanted program.

She loves her calling in visiting women in prison and giving them hope that they can live fully the life that God has purposed and planned for them - a life of wholeness, healing, and freedom from addiction and fear. In working with the younger teenage girls, Joanne helps them to know that they are known, seen, and loved; and that God has a plan for each of their lives. Her vision is that her life could have a lifelong impact on the girls and women that she serves and volunteers with daily.  

"Casting all your anxiety on Him because it matters to Him concerning you." - I Peter 5:7