Monte Mabra
If you’re a believer in ‘generational curses,’ it’s safe to say that Monte Mabra has broken the chains of such a curse within his family, and he’s found a unique way to help other families do the same.
Born in Milwaukee, Mabra was raised in a two-parent home until his father was incarcerated when he was two years old. Mabra and his siblings visited their father in prison until he was about 12 years old; that’s when his mother divorced their father and remarried, so the visits stopped.
“Growing up was rough. My father was sentenced to life plus 17 years. Prior to being incarcerated, our lives were drastically different. My parents owned seven or eight properties, three or four taverns and a pool hall. All those properties and businesses went toward paying his attorney fees, and we were left with nothing. By the time I was 14 years old, I took to the streets,” said Mabra.
By the age of 16, Mabra was arrested and adjudicated into the adult jail system. From the age of 16 to 33 years old, Mabra said that the longest stint he spent out of jail was one year. Addicted to cocaine, Mabra shares that the first significant change in his life occurred in 1996, when he asked God to take away his desire for cocaine and cigarettes. He never used either again.
The second drastic life change occurred in 2001 just before he was sentenced to jail time in Oakhill.
“My little sister came to visit me, and asked me to go to church with her. She was the one who took my collect calls and stood by me, so when she asked if I would attend church with her, I did. We attended Christian Faith Fellowship. After I went to jail, one of the inmates told me that my pastor, Bishop Darrell Hines, was on television. I turned to TBN and Bishop Hines was preaching about Lucifer. He said that Lucifer had the best job in heaven—watching the throne as God went back and forth. He said that Lucifer was the most beautiful angel in heaven and all he did was sing praises to God, but he desired to rule the universe, so God kicked him out of heaven.
“After hearing that sermon, I fell to my knees and told God that I didn’t want a rock to praise in my place. I asked God to change my life and He did—instantly,” said Mabra.
Mabra did his part as well, preparing for the day that he would be released. He earned his high school diploma and a certificate in computer literacy. He also completed a food service course in culinary arts and learned carpentry skills.
One day he listened to fellow inmates share stories about not having their fathers in the home while growing up. They discussed the impact of their fatherless relationships with their current situations. Mabra took this to heart, and sat down and wrote a play called “Voice of the Fatherless Child.”
“I was allowed to perform the play—with some inmates—while incarcerated. This play helped change my custody rating and eventually I was paroled,” said Mabra.
Determined not to return to prison, Mabra promised God that once he was released he would continue his journey in performing arts to help others. He had saved a little money, so he opened a 24-hour babysitting service. Mabra recounts that he made as much as $13,000 on New Year’s Eve and another $7,000 on Valentine’s Day. As luck—or lack of it—would have it, he was robbed and his business was burglarized. Distraught, Mabra, once again, called out to God asking why this was happening.
“God reminded me that I wasn’t doing what I promised—pursuing the performing arts with messages of hope and healing. So, once again I promised Him that I would. I produced “Voice of the Fatherless Children,” for the community. Even though I sold 200 tickets to the play, on the night of the performance only about 60 people showed up,” said Mabra.
Disheartened again, Mabra was ready to throw in the towel on his vision.
“After the performance Mother Lovelace came up to me and told me what a wonderful ministry I had. She said she wanted to ‘sow a seed’ into it. I told her that ‘this ain’t no ministry and I will never do it again!’ She put her finger to my nose and said, “You don’t tell me what to do. The Lord tells me what to do. Come by my house tomorrow’ she said.
“I went to see her the next day and she wrote me a nice check. I remember driving down Green Bay Rd., talking to the Lord. I said, ‘okay Lord. I have no money, but if this is what you want me to do, I need you to be my provider’; that’s when Voice of the Fatherless Child (VOTFC) was cemented,” said Mabra.
From that point on, Mabra’s testimony of obedience becomes even more powerful. He had no office and no 501 (c) (3) status; just a vision that he could help and heal others through powerful performances that resonate with victims, families and the community. Mabra’s first miracle occurred when, while doing odd carpentry jobs for Home Depot, he shared his vision with the store manager.
“She told me that she would get Home Depot to become a sponsor of my production. I was honest with her. I told her that I was a convicted felon and that I had no 501 (c) (3) status. I know it was the Lord, because Home Depot became my first corporate sponsor. Then Chase Bank helped me obtain my Articles of Incorporation, and Christian Faith Fellowship became my fiscal agent, allowing me to use their 501(c) (3) until I received my own nonprofit status,” said Mabra.
Other companies soon came onboard to sponsor Mabra’s dream, including Hupy & Abraham, Steinhafel Furniture, Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield and the list goes on.
“Eventually I was able to open a small office about the size of a bedroom, with the help of these sponsors,” said Mabra.
Today, Mabra’s VOTFC organization is housed in a 10,000 square foot facility. Its mission is to provide ‘intervention through entertainment.’ The center is open to youth and their families. In addition to performing arts, it provides a safe haven for young men to come to learn the important role of being fathers to their children, and teaches young women the virtues and values of self worth.
“VOTFC offers entertainment in the performing arts for the purpose of intervention, and teaches children and adults the arts, using them in ‘live’ performances to help raise awareness of issues such as mental retardation, bullying, cancer, domestic violence and drug addiction. Our programming is year ‘round. We charge for some performances and others are paid for by sponsors. For example, Anthem Blue Cross sponsors our performance called, “My Addiction.” With the opioid crisis in America today, we go all over Wisconsin performing this play. Another popular performances is, “I Want A Father For Christmas.” Boston Store and Church Women United sponsor this event, which is held at Christian Faith Fellowship. We have audiences of between 1,000 and 1,500 attend this performance during the holidays,” said Mabra.
VOTFC has also become a daily meeting and gathering place for up to 20 to 30 children.
“Our kids—because they are involved in the performing arts—tend to have higher reading proficiencies and they are more articulate. There’s one kid named Quincy who would come to the Center. In the beginning, he was a straight F student. He turned that into straight As, became an honor roll student, and he actually teaches the arts at the YMCA now.
“Someone asked him how and why he was able to turn things around and his response was, ‘Monte told me he was going to kick me out of the center if I didn’t get my grades together’,” said Mabra.
His tough love approach works. Mabra easily relates the success stories of so many of the children who found their footing and turned their lives around after coming to the Center.
Married to his wife, Regina, for ten years now, they have one daughter, LaChrissana, and two sons, Daren and Aaron. Mabra proudly shares that his oldest son is a director at Indiana State University.
“Mother Lovelace is not the only person who gave me a ‘kick in the pants’ when I needed it. Charles ‘Butch’ Walton, from CYD was my mentor. I have to give him credit because when I had nothing, he allowed me to use CYD as if it were my own facility. He not only shared the facility with me, but he also shared my vision. He challenged me, and told me to go for it,” said Mabra.
Indeed, Mabra did ‘go for it’, breaking that generational curse, and raising a community of children whose lives are all the better for being given a platform in which to release their hurt and pain, and find their path to healing and wholeness.
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