The Stuart Seventh-day Adventist Church has made it a tradition of helping families of inmates with Christmas food boxes delivered to their homes.
This year 51 boxes, filled with produce, canned foods, and dry foods were delivered to homes in Patrick and Henry counties. The names and addresses of the families were provided by the inmates.
At the homes, the question was asked if any additional help was needed. One family expressed urgent need for some financial help with their rent, which the church provided.
The goal of the food program is to keep a good, supportive relationship between the inmate and his/her family. As the food boxes are delivered on behalf of the inmate, this clearly takes place.
An additional project of the church is to give each inmate a small Christmas bag containing soap, toothpaste, and candy. This year, 150 bags were given to inmates at the Patrick County Jail.
