As Christmas approaches, Prison Fellowship will continue to update our list of the counties with the most underserved Angel Tree children. The following 50 counties are those with the largest number of children signed-up for the Angel Tree program that have not yet been assigned to a church (as of 11/25/11).
Imagine committing a crime, serving your time in prison and being released for time served. Now, you think your problems are over, but your problems are only beginning.
Erika L. Wood, writing for The New York Times, reveals the difficulties that arise upon leaving prison and re-joining the community.
Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
At a recent event in support of The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI), Cary White, one of the first ex-prisoners to graduate from TUMI, shared his powerful testimony about finding Christ, becoming a pastor behind bars, and ministering to others inside and outside the walls.
As Christmas approaches, Prison Fellowship will continue to update our list of the counties with the most underserved Angel Tree children. The following 50 counties are those with the largest number of children signed-up for the Angel Tree program that have not yet been assigned to a church (as of 11/22/11).
I recently came across a story in the “Good Deeds” section of the Gaston Gazette (Gastonia, NC). In it, James Bodenheimer talks about receiving two mailings soliciting contributions for the holiday season—Prison Fellowship and Special Olympics. Both are programs that the Bodenheimers have supported in the past.
A recent article in the Charlotte Observer profiles Mary Fraley, an Angel Tree church coordinator who doesn’t just distribute gifts. Her ministry has grown to include year-round support of Angel Tree families and regular correspondence with 74 different inmates.
Fraley said the people she encounters and the letters she receives from the prisoners provide her just as much encouragement as she tries to give.
If I had a song I’d sing it in the morning I’d sing it in the evening All over this land I’d sing out danger I’d sing out a warning I’d sing out love between my brothers and my sisters All over this land
Well I’ve got a hammer And I’ve got a bell And I’ve got a song to sing All over this land It’s the hammer of justice It’s the bell of freedom It’s the song about love between my brothers and my sisters All over this land1
Can there really be any such thing as a victimless crime?
Over 700,000 prisoners are released from prison each year.
Most people enter prison with little job experience or education. Many are placed behind bars which are hundreds of miles from family. Think about the difficulty of maintaining a relationship from miles away and behind bars.
Angel Tree program founder Mary Kay Beard will be speaking at Grace Church in Gladstone, MI, on December 1st. Here are the details from the Daily Press:
Doors will open at 6:15 p.m., with the program at 7:00 p.m. Food and beverages will follow.
Pat Nolan, Vice President of Prison Fellowship, writes in a recent editorial for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that prison work programs provide many benefits, but Nolan cautions that not all programs are equal.
Nolan writes of inmates’ lives and the importance of having a job:
Our mothers told us that “idle hands are the devil’s playground.”
Writing for the New Orleans City Business, Richard A. Webster details one prison where inmates are treated with constant verbal abuse and vicious beatings. While we understand this doesn’t happen in every prison, if it’s happening in one prison, it’s happening too much.
San Francisco Probation Chief Wendy Still and New York City Probation Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi will engage in a facilitated conversation on the role of family members in the community supervision process. These two jurisdictions are at the forefront of major reform efforts in their corrections system.
By now, everyone is no doubt aware of the horrific events surrounding Penn State University and former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. Over a period of at least two decades, Sandusky is alleged to have sexually assaulted a number of young boys on the Penn State campus while serving as a mentor for underprivileged children through his Second Mile organization.
As Christmas approaches, Prison Fellowship will continue to update our list of the counties with the most underserved Angel Tree children. The following 50 counties are those with the largest number of children signed-up for the Angel Tree program that have not yet been assigned to a church (as of 11/10/11).