WHAT: Our hope is to reflect the beauty of God’s mercy to men who have not only perpetrated crimes, but have also been the victims of poverty and abuse themselves along with their families who live with the loneliness and shame of a loved one’s incarceration. The prison system gives the prisoners, or their families, little opportunity for rehabilitation, mercy or faith; which we hope to provide.

WHEN: We were contacted by the prison chaplains at Sing Sing in 2008 and San Quentin in 2011.  Retreats are given once/per year to the men on the topic of “Forgiveness and Faith”.

WHY: By supplying the men with Christmas and Mother’s Day cards, which they can send home to their families, the prisoners can communicate with family members.  Prayers cards are also directly donated to the men to encourage their faith. Twice a year over 500 holiday cards and 500 prayer cards are designed, printed and sent to the men in Sing Sing, as well as San Quentin.

COST: We are seeking underwriters and donations for this important project.  Graphic design, art, printing, cards, envelopes and shipping of holiday cards is approximately $700/per seasonal shipment. Reproduction, framing and shipment of art to the chapel ($465) and we hope to repeat this for other prison chapels. New prayer cards (graphics, art, printing, shipping of 200-500 cards) are apprx. $500 to $1000).

Believing the imprisoned Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky who wrote:
“Beauty will save the world” we minister to the forgotten men inside our prison system through art and prayer, putting God’s beauty in places devoid of beauty.