Good News Global Gives Christmas 'Hope Packs' and the Gospel to 65,000 Inmates Worldwide
- Elizabeth Delaney Headlines Contributor
- Updated Dec 18, 2024
One of the most depressing and hopeless places to be during the holiday season is in prison. Being isolated from family and friends is felt more intensely than at other times of the year, and loneliness gnaws on a person’s soul like a dog on a bone. At the same time, inmates are often more willing to listen to the Gospel message around Christmastime than at other times of the year.
Good News Global Prison Ministry Helps Fill Void Inmates Feel during Christmas
Good News Global Prison Ministry, formerly Good News Jail & Prison Ministry, is taking steps to fill the void that so many inmates feel, especially at this time of the year. The ministry is in the process of hand delivering “Hope Packs” to women and men who are imprisoned in 18 states across the United States and in 20 countries, according to CBN.
Each “Hope Pack” contains a personalized gift, a Christmas card, hygiene items, a 2025 calendar and other items, according to a press release picked up by WEHT.
Churches and jail administrators partner with Good News Global Prison Ministry to fill the bags and get them to inmates. This year, 65,000 Hope Packs will be delivered to 150 jails and prisons.
“Hope Packs represent our greatest outreach to incarcerated persons ever,” Good News Global President Jon Evans said. “This Christmas, we will put hope in the hands of 65,000 receptive inmates. We believe that everyone has inherent worth in the eyes of God, and providing Hope Packs is a practical and tangible way to demonstrate that to the inmates and the jail and prison staff members.”
The Daviess County Detention Center (DCDC) in Owensboro, Kentucky, is one of the correctional institutes participating with Good News Global Prison Ministry. This particular effort was organized by Chaplain Emil Herzog, Good News Global—Daviess County, and a team of volunteers.
Chaplain Herzog has been the chaplain at DCDC for 20 years and supports the spiritual needs of about 600 inmates yearly, according to WEHT.
“…calendars, daily devotionals. He’s that man. So, when he comes through, you know, he’s got something special for you,” inmate Bryson Samuels said.
This year marks the second year that Herzog has partnered with Good News Global.
Hope Packs Outreach Is about More than Just the Gifts
“It’s about more than just the gifts — it’s showing them that they’re not forgotten,” Jailer Art Maglinger told Owensboro Times. “One inmate was brought to tears, overwhelmed by the simple act of being given a gift during this time of year.”
Volunteers put together about 700 Hope Packs, and Maglinger was quick to note that “Their hard work behind the scenes made this possible.”
He also pointed out that many inmates are unable to obtain items beyond the basics.
“Something as simple as snacks and a card can mean a lot to someone who has nothing,” Maglinger said.
Willow Creek Community Church is one of many churches that has partnered with Good News Global for the Hope Packs outreach. In fact, they’ve been a part of the outreach for over a decade, according to a video they posted on YouTube. They have increased the number of bags that they assemble each year, finally deciding to take on the ambitious challenge of assembling one bag for every inmate in their state.
For more information about Good News Global Prison Ministry, click here.
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Good News Global
