Worthy Now: PRison Pen Pal Ministry
By Jen Chard
Prison Pen Pal Ministry “Worthy Now” at CCNY
This year, CCNY began partnering with the Worthy Now Prison Ministry. The program connects free-world Unitarian Universalists and members of the Church of the Larger Fellowship who are experiencing incarceration. If you want to know more about the program and how this partnership happened, I'd encourage you to read the press release!
This partnership has created a wonderful volunteer opportunity for us in the CCNY community. On Wednesdays from 5-7pm Br. Zach opens the church house and we start with a pile of envelopes. Community Church acts as the processing center for the pen pal program. Pen pal pairs are matched individually, but everyone sends their letters to us. Sometimes there's an already stamped and addressed envelope ready to go and we just add it to the "ready" pile. A lot of times we re-package the envelope, look up the person's name and then add the pen pal's mailing address to the envelope. Sometimes we get thank you notes or applications. If a letter gets returned to sender because one of the inmates was moved, we figure out the new location. And when we run into any issues we can't solve, we contact the original program administrators at Church of the Larger Fellowship for guidance.
I find that chatting with church friends and sorting and re-packaging the envelopes is a fun way to spend Wednesday evenings. Br. Zach provides a light vegan meal each week, and we pack up the leftovers to be taken to some unhoused friends in the area. I'm really grateful for the opportunity
Join us every Wednesday and second Sundays at the church house.
Become a Pen Pal
Worthy Now is seeking pen pals to correspond with incarcerated UUs
Worthy Now, a ministry of the Church of the Larger Fellowship in partnership with CCNY, provides a vital lifeline for incarcerated individuals across the country. Many are new to Unitarian Universalism and are eager for non-judgmental spiritual connection. Some are existing Unitarian Universalists seeking to continue their fellowship in our denomination. With limited access to religious services or online resources, these individuals rely on written correspondence to explore UU teachings and forge connections with the wider UU community.
We invite you to sign up to become a pen pal. When you apply online you’ll be matched with a fellow UU who lives in a United States prison. Pen pals are encouraged to send friendly letters on topics of mutual interest once a month, with an initial commitment of 6 months.
Don’t know what you’d write about? This 4 minute video describes what it’s like to be a pen pal.
For more information, check out the Worthy Now website.
There are currently 1,900 active pen pal pairs, but with a waiting list of 100 incarcerated members, more free world pen pals are desperately needed. Bring a message of hope and make a big impact in someone’s life.
