By Carmen Rodgers
When a woman is released from prison she leaves with one pair of men’s khaki pants, a matching shirt, a $10 debit card and bus ticket. Often these garments are all she has to wear. This can make an already difficult situation more stressful.
This is where a group of women from Santuck Baptist Church, who call themselves Isaiah 58 Ministry, plan to help. Isaiah 58 is a Bible verse that ends with the words, “divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover her.” The women at Santuck Baptist heard the message and did exactly as it said. They began packing suitcases with clothing, shoes, hygiene products and a bible for women who are about to be released from prison.
“We pack suitcases with clothes and hygiene items for women from area correctional facilities that have to take a bus because they have no one to pick them up from prison,” program director Dawn Green said.
When a recently released woman receives a bus ticket, it only takes her back to the city where she was arrested, it does not always take her home. This can be problematic because going back to one’s old stomping ground can quickly lead a woman right back in the prison system. Isaiah 58 Ministry hopes to break that cycle by providing recently released women with the essentials needed to succeed in life after prison.
“Sometimes these women have no one outside of prison to help them get back on their feet,” Green said. “Even if they have a job to go to, they often hold the paycheck for two weeks so they will not have money for a while and they have to be clean and appropriately dressed when they show up for a job.”
This program began five years ago when a chaplain at Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women went the extra mile for a young woman who asked for post-release support.
“This one girl asked if there was any way someone could get her some clothes and shoes. The chaplain reached out to various outlets and the day the girl was released, she had what she needed to start over with,” Green said.
Since 2013, the program has continued to grow and today the ministry helps women with any type of crisis.
“If a family has a house fire, we can provide clothing for those women,” Green said. “We also help some of the women at the Family Sunshine Center in Montgomery. Any type of crisis that woman may have, we’re here to help.”
There are several rooms in the church that are specifically for clothing, shoes and hygiene products. All of these items are contributions made to the mission.
“All donations from different churches, individuals, and other groups,” Green said.
With donations regularly coming in from around the state, the ministry has plenty of shoes and clothes for the women who need them, but there are still some necessities that remain. The organization is always in need of new underwear, hygiene products, and, most importantly, volunteers.
“We can always use more volunteers,” Green said. “We have a wonderful group of volunteers here. We could not do this without our volunteers.”
Volunteers meet every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. To donate to this mission or for volunteer opportunities, call 334-567-2364 or visit I58@santckbaptist.org
