When Ann Lownin first considered volunteering with Prison Fellowship, she admits to being a little nervous.
“At first I thought it was going to be intimidating, but it is not intimidating at all,” Lowin says. “It is so rewarding, and I have met some of the most special people.”
Lownin has been volunteering with Prison Fellowship and Angel Tree for nearly seven years. It has been, she says, time well spent.
“I started out as an Angel Tree volunteer with my church in The Woodlands, Texas,” she recalls. “I’ve got to meet families, and I’ve really seen the way that incarceration affects every family.”
Lownin remembers one family in particular—a 12-year-old living with her grandmother while her father was incarcerated. “We were going to deliver gifts to her granddaughter around Christmastime, and I wasn’t able to make contact with them,” she says. “They weren’t answering their phone.”
In January, Lownin found out why the family was hard to locate—the young girl’s father had recently passed away while still in prison. But there were still presents to be delivered, including a message from the girl’s dad.
“That was really all she had left of her dad,” Lownin remembers. “It was a very powerful moment for me.”
Prison Fellowship volunteers have the unique opportunity to see God work in the lives of prisoners and their families. If you would like to learn more about how you can be a part of this transformation, visit our Get Involved page to find out what opportunities are available.