Annette Kelly, of Lincoln, Ill., was a Stephen Minister who heard about the Storybook Project through a presentation at her church and felt that the program would make good use of her time and talents. Modeled after Aunt Mary's Storybook Project of Companions, Inc., the Storybook Project gives prisoners at the Logan Correctional Center a chance to pick out a book for their child and record it on tape, along with a special message to remind the child that Mom or Dad is OK and still loves him or her. The book and tape are then sent to the child. Many churches have duplicated this project throughout the country. A handful of volunteers can coordinate this ministry.
Prison ministries offer the extra benefit of being truly ecumenical.
The program in Lincoln is a joint effort of United Church of Christ, Presbyterian, and Lutheran congregations. Kelly compares the project to planting a garden. We put seeds out there and hope that the children will maintain the bond with the parents and that it will help them make good choices in their futures. Jane Otte, executive director of Prisoner and Family Ministry for Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, says the best thing about work with prisoners and their families is that it changes faces and institutions in the news into people and opportunities for ministry. You get to know people.