Testimonials

“MAKING CHRISTMAS A LITTLE BRIGHTER FOR THOSE BEHIND BARS.”

• “We received with rejoicing and thanksgiving your cases of Christmas cards for our jail ministry. We look forward to blessing our inmates with your kindness We wish you could see the thankful hearts as they reach out to receive your cards, knowing they will be able to share their love during this Christmas season. Thank you for your servant hearts and the love you have for our ministry behind bars. We are so appreciative of your generosity.” Linda Barrett, Chaplain (over 15 years of San Diego jail ministry)

• Seaside Oregon Newspaper Reporter Eve Marx explained how thirty volunteers met several hours with Pastors Shirley and Carl Yates at Seaside Coffee Cafe on a writing mission to address and sign 800 - 900 Christmas cards to inmates in correctional facilities in California, Mississippi, and Oregon. Shirley said, “Recently I received a note from an woman inmate thanking us again for last year’s Christmas card. She wrote: “Your card was the only Christmas gift I got this year. I read and reread the beautiful card. I can’t thank you enough for remembering me.”

• Chaplain Otis in Georgia wrote: "I am pleased to inform you of the positive benefits your Christmas cards provide here at our correctional center. Some of the many good side effects that occur from your kindness you will never know until you get to heaven and stand before the Lord."

• Chaplain Daniel in Illinois told us: "You have truly BLESSED my ministry to inmates. After my assistants help me hand out three cards to each of our 2,500 inmates, I keep any extra cards in my office because there are always inmates, (usually ones who never come to chapel services), who come ask me for an extra card or two. I let them pick out the card(s) and then I have a special opportunity to talk with them and pray for them and their family."

• An inmate in Carroll County Prison in Georgia wrote: "Thanks to you, my wife and my mother will get a special card for Christmas. God bless you. Thank you very much!"

Pelican Bay Prison - CA:

• Last Fall, “60 minutes” featured a segment about Pelican Bay prison which holds some of the worst offenders in the state of California. This prison has the highest number of small isolation cells, used for the most violent inmates. We phoned and contacted the prison chaplain the next day. He was very happy to hear that we had Christmas cards available. He asked us to send 2,000 Christmas cards to distribute to the inmates. Three days later he emailed us: “Received the special shipment of cards. Please pray as I take the first cards to the men on death row.”

• One chaplain shared how the cards impacted inmates she served: “Inmates were surprised and overjoyed last year to receive Christmas cards to send friends and family. A special gift like hat had never happened in my fifteen years as chaplain in San Diego. This Fall everyone looked forward to the Christmas Card Day when the cards would be handed out. What a positive impact these cards have made in our jail system! Thank You for ‘visiting’ Jesus in our jails1”

THANK YOU from myself and from all those incarcerated in San Diego!”

• “Thank you for caring for the ‘least’ of the least! These cards are an extra special blessing for our inmates.” Chaplain George at San Quentin prison

• “The Christmas cards have given me another opportunity to share the Good News with the inmates I serve.” Chaplain in New York prison

• “Thank you so much for these cards! I prayed over them, then delivered them personally to every cell in our prison. Had many opportunities to pray for and with the inmates. They truly appreciated the cards. It’s the only thing they can ’give’ their family and friends. You have no idea what this means to them!” Chaplain Shreve in Illinois state prison