Prentis Park Church Opens Video Visitation Center for Families of Prisoners
Partnering with AFOI (Assisting Families Of Inmates) and the VA State Department of Corrections, the Prentis Park Prison Ministry department is set to begin receiving its first Video Visitation Center guests at the 3709 Winchester Drive location of the Prentis Park Church. After much behind-the-scenes remodeling, recruiting, and installation of the necessary tech equipment, the center is ready.
On Sabbath afternoon, March 22nd, AFOI staff members met with Prentis Park members, staff, and volunteers for orientation. They were given a history of the video visitation program; a summary of the volunteer application process, responsibilities, and information; and then an overview of visitation scheduling, fees, equipment, and basic center procedures. Much time was devoted to a question-and-answer session.
In addition to their traditional Behind-the-Bars ministry, which includes Sabbath School, worship services, and Bible studies, and their local community service and Angel Tree outreach to families left behind, Prentis Park now joins a sisterhood of 10 centers across Virginia that open their doors to community families each weekend for video visits with loved ones housed in any of the 38 DOC facilities statewide. Included within the sisterhood are 3 other Potomac Conference SDA centers located in Buena Vista, Fredericksburg, and Mechanicsville (Meadowbridge). As the first AEC church accepting the challenge of this form of ministry to families "serving time on the outside" and being in the town of Portsmouth, along the heavily travelled Hampton Roads/Tidewater corridor, the center feels that it is uniquely positioned to serve not only the surrounding communities but also even out-of-state tourists with incarcerated loved ones within our borders.
Organized in the 1970s, AFOI has evolved to include family & children's support programs, bus transportation for statewide in-person visits, video visitation centers, and in-home video visits. While the visitation center ministry is currently only available in Virginia, it is hoped that other communities will be inspired to develop similar Cookies & Milk children's programs or transportation for in-person facility visits.
Thank you to the AFOI staff, who donated their after-hours time to launch us in the right direction. Extra special thanks go to Charlene Wright, AEC Prison Ministry Federation secretary, who made the trip from Maryland to attend this session and, before leaving, completed her volunteer application so she could be on call, if needed, to help man the center, which will initially be open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month. Of course, the "all-hands-on-deck" call has been sounded as we strive to reach the goal of 10 available volunteers scheduled to work during center hours. All are part of the unofficial PR rep/recruiting team to help us reach their friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, etc. who would benefit from the services we can now offer.
But the greatest thanks go to God, who has opened the doors, empowered & equipped the workers, and will bring in the families in this new and exciting phase of prison ministry. To God be the glory!!!
Submitted by Margaret Joyner, Secretary, VA Area Prison Ministry