“Renew Hope” Report
This year was the first time in six years that I have signed up to attend We Care’s “Renew Hope” Crusade. It was wonderful to be a part of the team again after taking a long break.
The We Care Program, based in Atmore, Alabama, has been in operation for over 40 years, organizing chaplaincy work in prisons across Alabama, plus a yearly four-day crusade. The program has been renamed as “Renew Hope”, but is still the same program as before, with four days of ministering in 24 prisons in Alabama and northern Florida. It is wonderful to be able to take advantage of the testimony they have built over more than 40 years, which allows us free access to the whole prison complex if we have a We Care badge. All because someone had a vision to make a difference for the Kingdom of God 48 years ago!
During the crusade, we get to eat prison food in the chow hall, which is an experience in itself. The prison I was in fed around 1,800 prisoners three meals a day, six days of the week, and two meals on Sunday—a total of 5,400 meals per day, or about 1,877,400 meals per year. No wonder they have an automatic machine to wash the trays! The whole operation is like a big machine that starts at 4 am and ends around 6 pm. Everyone is trained to eat fast and get it over with so the next person can sit down at your table. Everything is done in big batches; for example, they mix sweet tea in plastic trash cans. All in all, it is a worthwhile experience, and it becomes very clear that this is punishment, not a picnic.
You may wonder if it is even right to send money to a government that doesn’t operate with your principles. The corruption you hear about and all the money spent on war and things that do not align with your values could make you question your responsibility to pay taxes.