In 2018, Geri connected with YFC through her church. Geri began serving with a team in the Wyandotte County Juvenile Detention Center (Kansas City, KS), leading Alpha Youth Series and Bible Studies. While she was there, she met a young man named Ryan. Her heart broke when she heard his story, and she admired how he wanted to make real change in his life.
Ryan was sentenced to a year in the state juvenile correctional facility, but Geri wanted to keep in touch. She went through the process to be a mentor at the state facility so that she could keep in contact with Ryan. And, she enlisted her husband Joel to join her.
After Ryan was released, Geri and Joel set up a time to meet with him and his girlfriend. When Geri saw his girlfriend, he burst into tears. It was Alicia, a student she had known for many years when she taught elementary P.E.
Geri and Joel went to visit Ryan and Alicia weekly, supporting them in prayer and helping Alicia with appointments once they found out she was pregnant. There were a lot of hard times, but Geri and Joel stuck with it and when Alicia’s baby was born this year, Geri and Joel visited them in the hospital and took them home afterwards.