Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them… Hebrews 13:3, NRSV
“God’s Partners in Prison.” That’s one title used to describe prison chaplains, who many in the corrections industry feel are “among the most important staff in prisons.” And it’s a title that certainly describes Carmelo Urena, Philadelphia Prisons Director of Chaplaincy/Religious Services.
Fortunately, Urena is also a valued partner to the Eastern PA Conference Prison Ministries and Restorative Justice Team, which works with chaplains and others to help the conference minister to people living in prisons throughout our region. The team is grateful that its partners in 16 penal institutions have facilitated its delivery of thousands of signed Christmas cards to prisoners since 2015.
But Urena has gone steps further in partnering with us to help him serve the roughly 7,000 men and women whose spiritual needs he and his team care for in the six Philadelphia institutions.
EPA sends over 10,000 Christmas cards to prisons in 2022
First, he asked the team to provide not just signed Christmas cards but also unsigned ones that prisoners could use to send greetings to their families and other loved ones. Done. In addition to delivering 5,700 signed cards to 13 correctional facilities in 2021, EPA also donated about 1,500 unsigned cards to prisoners in the Philadelphia institutions. And in 2022, EPA delivered 6,960 total signed cards to 12 correctional facilities, plus 3,187 requested unsigned cards to the Philadelphia system. (Read “EPA sends over 10,000 Christmas cards to prisoners.”)
Then Urena asked for donations of underwear in 2022 because each prisoner receives only one pair of underwear upon entering the system. He wanted to provide them with at least one additional pair. Done. Our “Undies for Easter” campaign collected and provided over 5,000 undergarments for incarcerated men and women.
Now he’s asked for much-needed toiletries to support prisoners’ hygiene health. That request has led to the first-ever Toiletry Bowl campaign. The team asks donors in EPA and Greater New Jersey to purchase online toothpaste, bar soap, deodorant and hand cream for incarcerated men and women because they receive only small quantities of each when they arrive. Many lack the resources or family support to obtain more from the expensive prison commissary.
Toiletry Bowl campaign ends August 15
The Toiletry Bowl campaign, which began June 15, will end August 15. A variety of toiletry items (two competitive brands each) are available for purchase and donation on our Amazon Toiletry Bowl Gift List at https://tinyurl.com/toiletry-bowl. These small items will make a big difference in the lives of many persons in prison.
Simply select the delivery option for EPAUMC Prison Ministry Team, and the purchases will be shipped automatically to them, in care of Grove United Methodist Church, 490 West Boot Road, West Chester, PA.
The Rev. Marilyn Schneider, team leader, will announce the “winning,” or most-purchased, brands for each toiletry item, as well as the collected totals at the conclusion of the campaign. She will then deliver the items to Urena for distribution to our brothers and sisters who need them.
By the way, Urena, at six and a half feet tall, is a man of great stature in height and heart. He has his own inspiring testimony of how he found Christ when he was sent to prison for drug trafficking and how he was released and soon returned to help others through prison chaplaincy.
The Gentle Giant with Helping Hands
“After God rescued him from a self-destructive life of crime, Carmelo Urena committed his life to helping prisoners and their families,” begins “The Gentle Giant with Helping Hands,” a compelling portrait written by Amanuel Mengistu on the Prison Fellowship website. Be sure to read this remarkable account of a chaplain’s own redeemed and transformed life and how he pays it forward by serving the incarcerated and their families as God’s partner in prison.