Prison Book Ministry

Overview

"When was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?" was a question posed to Jesus in Matthew's Gospel, and it is one all of us can ponder. Our country's incarceration rate is the highest in the world with over 0.7% of the population behind bars. Even though many are justly imprisoned, we can follow Jesus' mandate to care for them and their families.

"When was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?" was a question posed to Jesus in Matthew's Gospel, and it is one all of us can ponder. Our country's incarceration rate is the highest in the world with over 0.7% of the population behind bars. Even though many are justly imprisoned, we can follow Jesus' mandate to care for them and their families.

In order to increase awareness of criminal justices issues and of our Prison Book Ministry, Holy Trinity has sponsored an informational booth at the Printers' Row Lit Fest every June since 2014.

Explore this page for ways to help in the future.

How Can I Help?

Participate in Holy Trinity's Prison Book Ministry in these ways:

  1. Begin setting aside used books suitable for the Spring book drive, according to the Guidelines below and saving boxes appropriate for shipping books, no more than 18" on longest side.
  2. Donate to the fund to supply notebooks for reflective journaling and art supplies for Fox Valley Adult Transition Center for Women in Aurora.
  3. Donate good condition women's clothing, shoes, purses, coats, etc., for use by Fox Valley women entering the labor market. Please deposit in the basket marked "Fox Valley" in the HT Lakeview narthex or give to Pr. Ben Adams at HTLoop.
  4. Donate items for the annual Warrenville Youth Christmas Wish List. View the wish list here.
  5. Learn about the LSSI Storybook Project and click the link for the video.
    Make monetary donations NOTE: Click the donor designations box and choose Prisoner and Family Ministry. At the very bottom of the form, click in the Special Instructions box and state that the donation is for Storybook Project.
  6. NOTE: If you have donated books or clothing, please know that you can get a gift-in-kind letter from the church office for income tax purposes.

Resources

Guidelines for the Prison Book Project

Help improve the lives of men and women in prison and empty your over-crowded bookcases. Do two good things at once by taking part in our annual Prison Book Ministry drive!
During three years of operation, Holy Trinity’s prison book ministry has enriched the lives of inmates at three Illinois prisons by distributing over 3000 books, weighing at least 2000 pounds!

How To Help Out

Begin setting aside your used books in preparation for the Spring book collection—and invite your friends and family to do the same.

If you have questions, please email Ryan and Carol LaHurd.

Types of books most needed

reference: legal/job/vocational
resume/interviewing
health
self-help/motivational
parenting
novels (crime fiction OK)
urban and other contemporary African-American fiction
transgender, bisexual, lesbian fiction
Native American fiction and nonfiction
young adult fiction
fantasy/science fiction
history
world religions
Biblical/theological
mental health, especially depression, anxiety and trauma/PTSD
crafts (crochet, beading, card-making, paper crafts)
drawing, painting, and calligraphy
puzzle books, especially Sudoku, word searches, crosswords and fill-ins
language learning—mainly Spanish
dictionaries, including English-Spanish

Guidelines

Both paperback and hardbacks acceptable
Good condition
No personal information (or black out)
No heavy highlighting or marginal notes
Nothing defamatory of any group/belief
No explicit sex or heavy profanity

Boxes - medium (no more than 18" on longest side) with labels and delivery bar codes removed