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Newport Corps women reach out to local inmates.
“We never know what has changed behind those bars.”
When Newport (Oregon) Corps Officer Lt. Corrin Perry heard that at a meeting of the North Lincoln Ministerial Association, she was inspired.
The guest speaker that day, Denise Lee of Prison Fellowship Ministries, said her group was looking for local partnerships—churches in Oregon to reach out to incarcerated individuals through writing letters.
“She explained that sometimes the people in the systems have no one who will talk to them, no family or friends, because of the things they have done in the past, and sometimes they just need to know that someone cares about them,” Perry said.
When Perry took the idea back to her corps’ Home League, “Sally’s Lunch Bunch,” the women thought it was a great idea.
“The women decided to be a beacon of hope to those in a dark moment in their life,” Perry said.
They wrote letters to inmates at Lincoln County Jail and Oregon State Penitentiary, offering words of encouragement, hope and God’s love. Though they have yet to hear back from any of the inmates, they believe that the love of Christ was shown in this act of kindness, and seeds of change for a new life were sown.
“It’s amazing how simple of an action can affect someone so much,” said Newport Corps Sergeant Major Katherine Tague. “We never know what difference we are going to make in the small things.”
Sally’s Lunch Bunch is committed to regular outreach. Recently, the group made blessing bags that they keep in their cars to give to people experiencing homelessness.
“These ladies are very giving and love to serve,” Perry said. “I just love how a small community is full of so many people who want to make an impact. We can have partnerships with organizations to make a difference and provide hope in many different ways.”
The women plan to continue the letter-writing ministry several times a year.
