The 30-year owner of a construction company, Mike Palombi has been building foundations—both for houses and for young lives. In 2008, Mike was able to accomplish what even the law said he’d never be able to accomplish; he received a Standard Certification for Teacher of Carpentry allowing him to teach in any school in the State of New Jersey. Since his release from prison, Mike has used his trade skills and experience of overcoming the entanglements of addiction and incarceration to teach at-risk youth the importance of building foundations for life.
In January 2014 Mike released his award-winning memoir, How’s It Feel, Tough Guy? From Prisoner of Pride to Prisoner of Hope. His memoir, received 1st Place recognition in The Christian Writers Awards, in the category of Counseling/Recovery and is currently in over 400 prisons and county jails nationwide. Together with his wife Heidi, they use the book as a vehicle to bring a message of hope to those most others deem to be hopeless.
Most recently, Mike has completed the Brooklyn Teen Challenge School of Ministry and is pursuing his ministerial credentials to help position himself to have access to the prison populations he desires most to minister to. Mike regularly speaks at men’s groups, churches, recovery events, drug treatment facilities, and jails. Mike and Heidi attend and serve at El Bethel International Ministries Church, Inc. in Port Jarvis, NY.