To a South Carolina prison inmate, a free box of Irish Spring soap is much more than it appears.
Kathleen Shealy and Joyce Gardner, members of Old Lexington Baptist Church, and Donna Britt, convention staff, help assemble some of the Christmas packets for prisoners.First, it beats by a mile the cheap, unscented institutional soap carried by the prison canteen. Second, it’s free (state inmates must buy their own personal hygiene items). Third, as part of a packet sent to an inmate from South Carolina Baptists, it’s a free gift from a complete stranger, an unheard-of thing in a place where scores are always kept.
And, to the resourceful inmate who places the bar of soap in front of the vent in a prison cell, it’s an air freshener – Irish Spring scent.
Such is the unknown and unexpected blessing of just one of the items in the prisoner packets that South Carolina Baptists assemble each December. The other blessings are more anticipated, though no less meaningful.
“Oh yes, we absolutely see people come to faith through this project,” said Lloyd Roberts, a South Carolina Baptist pastor and chief chaplain for the state’s 28 correctional facilities. “It’s amazing how the spirit of God moves in the hearts of those who will receive their packet as the gift it is. This is sometimes the one thing that brings them to their chaplain.”
The packets are greatly appreciated. Said inmate Timothy (last name withheld per Department of Corrections policy), who was volunteering for a second year at the packet assembly event, “Oh yeah, these packets really do have things we need in them, especially if you don’t have family or anybody sending money to your account. The stuff they have in the canteen isn’t nearly this nice.”
The “stuff” in the packets (gallon-size plastic bags) adheres to a list of items the Department of Corrections requests; the only items South Carolina Baptists may add are a copy of the Gospel of John and a Christmas card. Each bag contains a pen, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a bar of soap (it doesn’t have to be Irish Spring), a writing tablet, five stamp-embossed envelopes, and two rolls of candy.
Jamie Burdette, associate pastor of First Baptist Church, Rock Hill, who volunteered at the packet assembly event, made a solemn vow that henceforth the packets his church sent would be the plastic bags with a slide zipper, and not that time-consuming press-to-close seal. Burdette spent most of his day opening packets, inspecting them for approved items, and passing them to other volunteers who had the unenviable task of resealing them after adding the Scripture portion and card.
Some of the 24,950 prisoner packets assembled at St. Andrews Baptist Church, Columbia, and later distributed by chaplains throughout the state’s adult correctional facilities.On Dec. 5 at St. Andrews Baptist Church in Columbia, nearly 140 people inspected and assembled 24,950 Christmas packets for prisoners – one for every adult inmate in a South Carolina Department of Corrections institution. Laurens Association provides a similar packet for each of the 600-plus youth in the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice facilities.
Volunteers came from churches, associations, state convention and Woman’s Missionary Union staff, a Mennonite community, chaplains, and about 45 inmates and the attendant correctional officers. This marks the 35th year of the project.
“This project involves every level of South Carolina Baptist life,” said Tim Rice, interim director of missions mobilization for the state convention. “From individuals to churches to associations to state staff, everyone mobilizes for this ministry.” – SCBC