A Shawnee church is making this Christmas holiday a little bit brighter for the female inmates at Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in McLoud.
Saturday afternoon, volunteers at Family Worship Center loaded up a total of about 400 gift bags for distribution to the inmates.
Family Worship Center started a Prison Ministry at the McLoud facility more than 10 years ago. Since then, Pastor Kenneth Curliss and his wife Deena, along with several church volunteers, have put together Christmas sacks for the women.
“It’s a big blessing for us to do that and for them to see that somebody cares for them, “ Curliss said. “We’re just celebrating Jesus’ birthday with them.”
The prison, which houses about 1,200 women, is served by many ministries and all of the inmates have already received gifts for Christmas, including toiletries, such as shampoo, lotions and soap, the pastor said.
Those who are receiving additional gift bags from Family Worship Center are those who attend Family Worship Center’s Prison Ministry group. Volunteers from the Shawnee church visit the prison twice a month and have a faithful following.
The bags being delivered during Prison Ministry services Saturday included items such as chips and candies, even bottles of water, he said. Volunteers spent time packing each one; it’s a project the church has done for 13 years.
Curliss said they hope to have an impact on those they serve.
“It’s a token of our love to them,” he said. And while the women are incarcerated, Curliss said, “still, yet, somebody needs to reach out to them.”
Deena Curliss said they do the ministry and the gift sacks to show the love of God to these women.
“How will they ever change unless someone helps them by teaching them that God loves them and He forgives them,” she said.
As part of the program Saturday night, volunteers from Family Worship Center were being joined by the O’dell family of Tulsa, whose group Righteous Blues, was providing music for the service.
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Kim Morava may be reached at 214-3962.
SHAWNEE, Okla. —
