COURTESY PHOTO

The men from the Catholic instruction group at Lebanon Correctional Institution present a check to Father Mark Schmieder and Karl Fields ofthe St. Francis-St. Joseph Catholic Worker House

Inmates recognize call to help others

By Eileen Connelly, OSU

HAMILTON DEANERY - Thanks to the efforts of a group of Catholic men at Lebanon Correctional Institution (LeCI), their fellow inmates enjoyed a tasty treat that also benefited a worthy cause. The members of the Catholic instruction group that meets weekly at the prison under the guidance of Christine Shimrock, a prison chaplain, paired with the Vietnam Veterans Association in October for a fundraiser inside the institution. The result was the ale of nearly 19,000 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts with $1,000 in proceeds going to the St. Francis-St. Joseph Catholic Worker House in Cincinnati, which operates as an emergency, short-term homeless shelter for men. The funds will be used for the purchase of ne mattresses.

The task of organizing the fundraiser was both complicated and meaningful for the men, said Shimrock, as they worked through the correctional facility's stringent requirements and put their plan into action.

"The men had been talking for twoyears about being able to give back in some way," Shimrock said. "They feel a responsibility not just to grow in their faith, but to do some good for others and not be limited by the fact they're incarcerated."

They chose the St. Francis-St. Joseph Cathoic Worker house as their cause for two reasons. Many of the men know Father Mark Schmieder, who serves on the house's board of directors, from his ministry as a prison chaplain. In addition, said Shimrock, the issue of homeless, is one to which they can rlate.

"Some of the men have never had a real family or are estranged from their own. They understand homelessness and wanted to impact that somehow," she explained.

Other funds raised by the doughnut sale were donated to the Holy Spirit Center in Norwoo and will be used to support ongoing ministry at LeCI, including one inmate's project of painting the Stations of the Cross on the walls of the prison chapel.

Regarding the inmates' dedication to insuring their fundraiser was a success, Shimrock said, "Im proud - really, really proud of them. They felt the need to help others and they saw it through."