Prison Ministries

1. Toiletry and kitchen item collection for released prisoners
When: year-round
Coodinator: Elizabeth Asch  
2. ChIPs -- toy and gift collection to benefit children of incarcerated parents
When: November - December
Coodinator: David Nyweide

Many prisoners are sent back into society with barely anything to their names -- no clothes, money, provisions or supplies. St. Thomas will provide continual support for these women by having an on-going collection of toiletry articles (such as shampoo, toothpaste, etc.) or kitchen items (such as pots and pans, soap, etc.). A basket will be marked and placed in the parish hall and a bucket similarly marked in the narthex. Any contribution is welcome, even those small courtesy bottles of lotion and such that are placed in your hotel room when you travel. We will deliver things to the prison periodically.

ChIPs is a program that has been sponsored by the diocese, through the Prison Concerns Committee, for more than a quarter of a century. As well as St. Thomas, many churches throughout the diocese are involved. This program is important not only to the children who feel the expression of caring, but also to the incarcerated men and women who realize that someone cares about them. St. Thomas participates each year in this program, by collecting books, toys and other gifts for children whose parents are inmates in the New Hampshire prison system and at the same time by bringing a glimpse of hope to these unnoticed victims of crime.

• Gifts of new toys, books, and gift certificates are collected for children ages from birth - 18 years.
• Cash donations are used to supplement collected gifts.
• In addition to making a donation, parishioners can volunteer to help the project by driving the gifts to Concord for sorting, sorting and wrapping presents, and participating at the Christmas parties at the prisons.