Ron and Catherine Tijerina are the co-founders and co-directors of The RIDGE Project, Inc. Ron Tijerina, formerly known as inmate 250-397, was incarcerated 15 years for a crime he did not commit. However, it was through this experience that Ron accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and led his wife, Cathy, to the Lord in a prison visiting room. During those difficult 15 years, the Tijerinas overcame many ob¬stacles including welfare, social prejudice, and prior poor lifestyle choices. Ron learned to function as a godly husband and father from behind bars while Catherine “overcame welfare” as she learned to apply God’s principles in becoming a woman of honor. In spite of the hardships they en¬dured, they built a new life together for their children; one free of shame and embarrassment.
Through their experience they founded The RIDGE Project, Inc in 2000 and devel¬oped successful programs including the award winning and nationally recognized Keeping FAITH (Families And Inmates Together in Harmony) program. Today, they work diligently to strengthen marriages and families, serve families and educate communities, churches, and policy makers about the importance of character and marriage/relationship edu¬cation within youth development and prisoner re-entry programs. Their method of teaching self-control and building healthy relationships has impacted tens of thousands of Ohio’s youth and thousands of incarcerated fathers and children of prisoners.
Their inspirational story of overcoming adversity to build a strong family through Christ is one that resonates with anyone who has encountered pain and disappointment in life. www.theridgeproject.com.
