A Charitable Foundation
"To love means loving the unloveable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything is hopeless." -- G. K. Chesterton
See a slideshow that explains what we do, why we do it, how you can help, and more.
See a letter of thanks from the chaplain at Mule Creek State Prison in California.
1. We identify (through a trusted contact, e.g. the prison chaplain or social worker) destitute prisoners with needs and then ask a sponsor to commit to provide $50 worth of goods, matching up sponsors and prisoners. You simply send a check to Simple Gifts and a prisoner will be matched with you: your information is not given to the prisoner unless you want to establish contact with him. Simple Gifts is a 501c.3 organization (IRS charitable status) and contributions are fully tax deductible.
Simple Gifts provides things that prisoners need in prison---small comforts. The prison provides only very basic necessities. For example, the cells are sweltering and so a fan can make life a little more tolerable. The prison shoes are uncomfortable and poor quality, so the men often want sneakers so that they can exercise. It's cold at night in the desert, and only a jeans jacket is provided, so the men often want a sweatshirt. The prison pays only 8-15 cents per hour for a prisoner's work, and they require that the men buy their own laundry soap, postage stamps, etc at "commissary rates" (which are the same as a grocery store or more---$2 for a candy bar, for example), so what little the men earn goes for such necessities. To even watch TV in prison, one must have a radio and headphones because the TV is "silent" (like movies on a jet plane) and a prisoner has to "tune in" to get the audio over his headphones. A destitute prisoner can't even afford that: it would take him years to save up enough to buy such an item.
2. We promote continued contact between prisoners and their children. For example, we are currently promoting a program whereby inmates create a cassette tape by reading a storybook. We then send the tape and storybook to that inmate�s child so that the child can follow along and hear �a bedtime story from daddy� (or mommy). While this may seem a relatively simple process, the obstacles are huge: for example, most prisons don�t allow the prisoners to have recording devices. A second program enables prisoners to draw a picture for their child and then send it to us to have it laminated into a placemat for the child; we then send the placemat on to the inmate�s family.
3. We sponsor music and arts programs within the prison (including performing arts). Recent donations include 15 sets of guitar strings to a music therapy class, and an electric acoustic bass guitar to Mule Creek State Prison.
Simple Gifts was founded by a person who didn�t have much empathy for prisoners. She felt that they sort of get what they deserve. Simple Gifts was born because she realized that all people have that of the divine in them and all people are deserving of respect and compassion, even if they have committed heinous deeds. Simple Gifts is a way for each of us to muzzle the judge within us, and to reach out in love to those who are both among the neediest and the hardest to love.
We ask only this: Please don't think "someone else will do it". Not many people have a heart for prisoners; most feel that they deserve what they're getting and so should suffer. But per Matthew chapter 25: 'I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.'
HOW TO SPONSOR:
By credit card or cash tranfer through Paypal (see http://www.paypal.com) ID simplegiftsorg@aol.com OR
Send checks to:
Simple Gifts
PO Box 10688
Alexandria, VA 22310
Or contact us: simplegiftsorg@aol.com
If you are a prisoner desiring to have your prison join the program (jails not eligible), please have your chaplain contact us.
--Dr. H. Clint Davis, Correctional Education Association (used with permission)
