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| Livin' the dream with Chris Santos |
How's that working out? On Sunday night, Santos devoted his bible studies to finding out who had reported him. While he was grilling everyone, one of his newer tenants - the son of a prominent local attorney - had to be rushed to the hospital after an overdose brought on by alcohol and who knows what else.
This newbie was supplied by two of Santos's saints, who are doing so well under his program.
Maybe they thought it was holy water.
Although relapses are the nature of addiction, Santos is in over his head. He is endangering his tenants. Instead of shoving them in a hovel with religious zealots, the County needs to find safe, alternative placement for the men living in his buildings.
45 comments:
This is a safehouse. It is also a religious community.
Someone o.d.'d. Had to go to the hospital. The drugs or alcohol was supplied by the residents. All of them are on probation or parole. This is a church and a unregistered and unlicensed addiction treatment facility. And the boy who o.d.'d, his father is a prominent attorney.
This seems like a recipe for success?
Normally, people in this field would always refer someone in need to a professional. You wouldn't want to hurt or harm anyone. These clients are way more in need of more serious expertise. This Santos cannot imaginably provide for all of their professional needs. If so, he needs to clue in the County and all drug and alcohol treatment facilities on his recipe for success.
The Counties and drug and alcohol facilities spends tons and tons of money to address these concerns. Whatever Santos or the Rock Church are doing, is actually harming the people they are supposed to be helping and care so much about.
No sane person would ever take on so much of a liability, a liability that they are not even remotely equipped to address.
Why does Stoffa allow this? First the Gracedale fiasco and now this. When will the Stoffa Adminstration clean up their act.
Who wants these people living in their neighborhood. Where else are they to live.
It is not the people that we are concerned about. It is the people that are trying to exploit and take advantage them and their situations. It seems Santos is trying to make money off of them, in this inconvenient situation.
the place is in easton. thus it's panto's fault
Lack of proper treatment will increase recidivism. The county should get on top of this as 100% of county prison costs come out of the county mortgage taxes.
Treatment does not.
Lack of proper treatment will increase recidivism. The county should get on top of this as 100% of county prison costs come out of the county mortgage taxes.
Treatment does not.
1:38, I doubt many people were aware of what the hell is going on.
This guy Santos is the devil reincarnate.
I continue to remain anonymous because I have had a family member under his control.
All residents should be removed for their own protection. His income would dry up, and he should be investigated and if he is guilty of unlawful activity, he should be charged and prosecuted.
He is harming Easton and the people of Easton.
I'd agree that Santos is actually hurting the people placed under his care, but don't consider him the devil incarnate. I'd agree with the comment at 1:05 AM.
I wish you could identify yourself and share your experience under Santos.
I have to agree with the comment at 1:05am also.
We need Abe Atiyeh to do this drug rehab work now more than ever.
For all the criticism directed at him, he will provide a professional program run by people who know what they are doing.
The city, although unaware of the program has been trying to get these properties repaired. At a public
Meeting months ago I was assured by the attorney Kevin Santos, that they wold be done by June. It's full court press and they cannot stand behind the separation of church and state. We have serious concerns about the livability of these units and are nalso asking the county toaake sure the are not tax-exempt since they are not used as a church.
Sal, Nobody can fault the City in this endeavor. It has been after Santos for years, as evidenced by several news accounts. Also, except for the church itself, I do not believe these properties are exempt, and in fact, owe considerable back taxes going back to 2009.
I can only assume that since this Santos works for the Prison, that there is some kind of conflict of interest, or a violation of their code of ethics.
Anyone know?
Living on this block, I can attest that 505 Northampton St. is a serious detriment to the community.
Since the residents are rarely seen or heard from, I doubt most people knew the Rock Church or Chris Santos' is getting funds from the county for released prisoners' housing. While it's known that Santos does prison ministry work, the on-the-street story has been that he "allows" the residents to stay there, and the presumption has been little or no rent. To hear otherwise is interesting, to say the least.
More interesting is that especially for such a deplorable building, he's apparently getting better than market value for spaces that should officially be deemed inhabitable for human habitation.
As I said, I live on this block, and though I'm not a construction engineer, my father was. It's my personal contention that this building is in serious danger of imminent collapse, which I've been photographically documenting for about the last year or so.
The western wall is of particular concern--it is peeling away from the rest of the structure and bricks fall from it regularly. Other than the people that have the misfortune to live there, NO ONE on this block will even walk on the sidewalk on that side of the street--the building is that scary.
The Rock Church folks know that the building is in trouble, but instead of doing the right thing, they have engaged in several illegal, after-hours amateur attempts to pin the wall to the second, third and fourth floors to stabilize it. But these efforts are not only not working, they may very well have served to further undermine the building's structural integrity.
I've sent the evidence to the city's planning commission as I've seen changes, to aid with their quest to legally get this place shut down. But it seems the court process is very, very slow in cases like this, to everyone's frustration.
Wherever they've been or bad choices or mistakes they've made, the residents of this building aren't a problem in the immediate community--but this building and the lack of decades' worth of proper maintenance, along with the social issues now raised in the coverage of Chris Santos' operating procedures on Lehigh Valley Ramblings, most definitely are.
Thanks for covering this.
This is nothing more than O'Hare doing a full scale smear job on Rev. Santos. He is doing it for his new BFF Dave of
Bangor.
It is a hallmark of O'Hare. He gets a emancrush finds out what they ned then gets his hate blog all reved up.
You are disgusting O'Hare. You do realize by going after Rev. Santos you are really attacking John Stoffa who as usual is clueless about all the county money that has gone into this program.
But somehow it won't be Stoffa's fault will it, after all what is he suppoesed to do, he is only the top elected official in the county.
As a life long resident of Easton, those buildings have always looked that way: deplorable.
And the exterior of the Church never changes, just like its clock. It is so much a part of Easton's skyline. Fortunately, unlike its pastor, that clock is correct two times a day. I am not so sure about Pastor Santos.
Christina,
I love you! Will you agree to go out with me. Please!!!
I'll bet Judge Crater is somewhere in those buildings. They haven't been cleaned since before his disappearance.
Hehe, heh. Maybe Jimmy Hoffa is on one of them.
All of this shows the sad state of re-entry for offenders who have done their time. The purpose of the jail is detention not rehabilitation, The mission of the staff is security not sobriety. Our county is finally addressing some of these issues. We are among the last counties in PA to do this. We are in dire need of good programs with trained people guiding and supporting ex-offenders. Unfortunately the prevailing attitude is not-in-my-backyard and prison is cheaper
I have been wondering if that is his Mercedes parked outside.
Bernie,
Get a life. What do you have against this man? Does he make you feel inferior that he is actually doing good, loving people and helping people? You are totally the opposite. He must threaten your manhood. Why don't you interview the ones that have done well in the program. You are not any better than those other smut reporters who refuse to see the good, you only report the bad. I challenge You Mr. O'Hare to interview the others that have done very well in the program. I can guarantee you will not do it. Shows how much character you have. Let me tell you something, I would much rather have Santos, or any of his guys as neighbors than I would you . At least these guys show their true colors. You are like a slithering snake in the grass.
Actually, I have spoken to a few graduates of Santos' program, other than David. Should I identify them so you can begin trashing them, too? You are a false prophet, a phony who is actually endangering the very people you claim to have saved.
Mr. O'Hare
I come to you with all sincerity and all due to respect. I understand your concerns with regards to the buildings being unsafe and the issues of back taxes owed. I don't know the full story, therefore I cannot judge. My questions are very sincere and I do hope you answer them. My first question is do you know Pastor Santos on a personal level? And why would you try to destroy him and the work that he is doing? I know Pastor Santos, and from what I know he is a man who has a genuine concern for people. Like I said, I don't know why he would not show up for meetings arranged with the engineer as Mr. Panto expressed. I don't know Santos that close that we would discuss such issues. All I do know is that he has a big heart for these men. All programs, re-entry homes have rules that people have to follow. These men are told the rules before they go into the program. They are aware that they have to go to church, and follow the house rules. Why on earth would you sign a contract and then try to burn the Pastor? Seems to me that David just wanted an easy ticket out of jail. He got what he wanted and he used the Pastor, as so do many others. I believe that Santos heart is in the right place and truly does have a heart for mankind. What kills me is that these men burn him all the time and yet he gives them chances after chances. I am just concerned because he has helped so many individuals out. I am telling you in all honesty he hasn't exploited not one of those men. As a matter of fact in might be the other way around? Do you not see that? Do you not feel bad for Santos? My mind is just totally boggled at what has transpired in the few days. Like I said, I am not trying to be disrespectful by writing this letter, I just want to know what is your personal stand on Santos, do you not believe that he has good intentions? I have seen him feed the hungry, give clothes, I have seen people steal from him and yet he opens the door. I don't know if you are familiar with the Cross & The Switch Blade story. He was an inner city Pastor in NYC during the early 60 and 70's with all the gangs. The gangs made fun of him. One night a gang member was very upset with Dave Wilkerson, Pastor because many gang members were getting saved. The gang member held a knife to this preacher, and told him I am going to slice you up. And the preacher's response? "if you do, every single piece will tell you I love you". Mr. O'Hare, I have no doubt that Pastor Santos will do the same. I beg you to not hurt his ministry that he so loves. If he needs money, or facing hardship why do we not reach out as a community and help him? Wouldn't that be better than to put useless money in other areas? The goal is to reduce the recidivism rate and make these men productive citizens. Of course the ones that you have spoken too will tell you all the bad. Usually they are probably the ones that got kicked out for not abiding by the rules. If Pastor Santos is no longer allowed to house men, where will these men go? I truthfully, respectfully hope you answer me. Thank you for taking the time to read my post Mr. O'Hare.
The difference between you and me is that I do not think Santos has the best interests of his tenants in mind. If he did, he would never allow them to stay in buildings that are unfit for human habitation. Also there are over 300 re-entry programs at the jail, according to Corrections Director Matos. If Santos is closed down, there will still be 299.
Thank you for your response Mr. O'Hare.
From what I understand the men's recovery program was happening long before Santos became Chaplain. Why didnt anyone else apply for the Chaplains job when it was empty ? I'm told that no one was willing to do it without pay. $1000 to your church wasnt inviting enough. Is the County providing any funding to this program ? If not , then there's really nothing the County can do without a complete investigation. I say the mans heart is in the right place... help him if his program is on the level.
The county pays Chris via the church..that way evading paying benefits thus a fee for services. Unfortunately the county does not want to pay for a full time chaplain with credentials. They go cheap in other words. There is no other support paid by the county to the supposed program. There is no program..only indoctrination along religious lines and lots of it. Why did no one else want the job? Don't know but them wanting something for nothing should tell you all you need to know. The former chaplain had the same deal but he didn't have a side business housing former inmates. I hope that answers some of your concerns.
If the goal is to reduce recidivism, the County needs to spring for a real chaplain with a real salary.
Housing for returning citizens is better than in the past but more is needed. The number of in jail programs and educational offerings are many as stated by Mr. Matos. The daily calendar of the facility is crammed full of opportunities for inmate self help and spiritual guidance. The annual volunteer banquet is a huge event and good people have been doing what they can at the jail for decades.
Dear annoymous at 10:47 Pastor Samuel Santos was a great man maybe that is the man you are refering to...he preached to gangs in new york and was loving to all! He showed care and concern for his church members. Now Pastor Chris Santos is his son and the one whom these blogs are about. I can say I have gone to the rock church from age 3 until my 20's i even attended the school. I can say it was not always a cult I remeber joyful times and learning about God and HIS character of love...but under the era of the Pastor Chris Santos lead it has become nothing less than a cult. The message of God took a back seat to the message of Pastor. I earnestly pray that God shows mercy to him and that he finds God. I remember a time when a less fortunate soul came into the church and I saw Pastor chris go to an usher and he told that usher to follow that man and they asked that man to leave because they assumed he would steal. Jesus knew he would be betrayed but he still ate dinner with that man and even went willingly to the cross. I was a child and that confused me to my inner core. I no longer attend but I do not believe much has changed. I pray for the followers because the heart of God is love.
10.01..thank you for sharing that with us here at LVR. Your testimony is very important and I believe every word of your statement. I salute your courage and honesty in coming forward about your experiences at the church. Bless you..
10:01, Thank you so much for writing this. I am praying that God will show me the truth. I am kind of confused now. I have heard conflicting stories about the Rock Church. I wish I can speak to you on a one to one. I am really searching for the truth in this whole thing. Again, thank you so much for sharing that. God Bless you.
This is what happens when you allow the mixture of church and State.
Don't misunderstand me...I have my Faith and believe in It strongly.
However, you have a "second choice" as interim Director at the prison (Matos), who directly supervised the Chaplain (Santos) when he was Volunteer Coordinator.
Mr. OHare...do you have ANY idea on the sheer number of "professional visitos and volunteers" the prison granted clearance to? The number is so high, it's astoudingly ignorant. Most of them are religious volunteers...
Mr. Stoffa announced his pleasure at the introduction of Christianity-based incarceration (or however it was put)...dare i say that if the incarcerants were that religiously grounded...they wouldn't be there in the first place?
Prison isn't supposed to be a recruitment poster for the wandering malcontent to join a Faith. They either have it already or not at all.
Bad idea: Mixing Church and State.
I have been there before and it aint good at all and its a rip off
I, until the age of 17, lived on N 7th St. Our yard was the biggest so, all the kids came here to play. We used the tower clock to make sure we got home on time. You see, unlike today it was not against the law to get a swat on the backside for not obeying our parents. I digress, I do volunteer work at the prison. As such, I will be a mentor through Pastor Santos. I do not know Pastor well and what I am reading is very disturbing. The man has always been up front with me and shows a great spiritual interest in the inmates. If he is getting all of this money he does not show it. But then again,a false prophet would be able to magically to hide that. At the meeting the clothes he was wearing, were very old and worn. But I guess he is hiding his style of dress and living with all his money. If he is what you are proclaiming him to be I will know and I will be the first to report him.
As for the $1,000 going to the church. What is wrong with that? At $1,000 a month that comes to an immense amount of $12,000 so let us look at this. 40 hours a week times 52 weeks comes to a grand total man-hours of 2,080 for $12,000 coming to a grand total of $5.77 per hour. Would you work for that kind of wealth? Wow by giving to the church the city gets a donation credit for taxes. And Pastor saves a whopping $1,800 that the church could use. So yes you are correct he is cheating.
When I see pastor next time I will offer my services of an inspector and home builder to see what must be seriously looked at. If he refuses I will find out why. If he is as you say he is then he will refuse me.
I am for the salvation of people not the exploitation.
May God Bless and sign me,
Optimistic
I, until the age of 17, lived on N 7th St. Our yard was the biggest so, all the kids came here to play. We used the tower clock to make sure we got home on time. You see, unlike today it was not against the law to get a swat on the backside for not obeying our parents. I digress, I do volunteer work at the prison. As such, I will be a mentor through Pastor Santos. I do not know Pastor well and what I am reading is very disturbing. The man has always been up front with me and shows a great spiritual interest in the inmates. If he is getting all of this money he does not show it. But then again,a false prophet would be able to magically to hide that. At the meeting the clothes he was wearing, were very old and worn. But I guess he is hiding his style of dress and living with all his money. If he is what you are proclaiming him to be I will know and I will be the first to report him.
As for the $1,000 going to the church. What is wrong with that? At $1,000 a month that comes to an immense amount of $12,000 so let us look at this. 40 hours a week times 52 weeks comes to a grand total man-hours of 2,080 for $12,000 coming to a grand total of $5.77 per hour. Would you work for that kind of wealth? Wow by giving to the church the city gets a donation credit for taxes. And Pastor saves a whopping $1,800 that the church could use. So yes you are correct he is cheating.
When I see pastor next time I will offer my services of an inspector and home builder to see what must be seriously looked at. If he refuses I will find out why. If he is as you say he is then he will refuse me.
I am for the salvation of people not the exploitation.
May God Bless and sign me,
Optimistic
You should stop right now, pastor Chris is the funniest, kind hearted person if you stay an hour with him you know how he is, a true man of God your just jealous because all you do to be nice is to judge a person, without even knowing them mal creado no sabes nada your rude and inconsiderate because you don´t know people you need God in your lonely life, I know him and he is funny and joyful and unlike you he has a family he cares about and adores them so I leave it at this if you are bringing down pastor Chris your binging down his family and do you want that tu necitas a dios y Jesus te guarde y protejas y que Dios ages un milagro a ti but stop you BULLY! said by Danielle
what is your problem, people this is the false reporter you don´t know him, you just report the bad in people you haven´t even sat with and talked to him your ridiculous you think that your right but your not I´m currently in his school and they are kind and teach about God and normal things. He has a family that attends to that school and they do not look rich they have clothes that look worn and phones that are not even modern but that is not the point they are nice people and they care about even those like you which criticize people the point is that you don´t know them, I do, and if we have a problem in class they would pray for you. You should think about public school, which I was took out of that school because they do drugs and the kids are already commiting fornication and are selling drugs and on the buses the drivers don´t notice they do hooka and there is a girl on Instagram who is 14 years old and she post pictures of her doing marijuana and cocaine 14 can you believe that and you think that were doing bad in our school then there something wrong with you but anyways God bless you
Right on the money Danielle.
I was an old tenant of the house and I can say the houses may not be in the best shape but its supposed to be a motivator for tenants to want to make changes and choices so they can get out of that house cut santos slack hes giving people a chance halve of the local resadents wouldn't do and that's to give people a chance to better there lives while the jail just makes there lives harder I would go back in a heart beat hes a good man with a good intentions to help thos others wont give a chance
Hey Bernie, watch your back. God's gonna get you for the way that you're maligning one of His servants.
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