After reading an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch written by Jake McCarthy describing the conditions at the State Correctional Center for Women at Tipton, Mo., Rev. and Mrs. Lee Hall, 6000 Block of Kingsbury, and Mrs. Shirley Deavens, principal of Hamilton Branch III School, initiated the Tipton Project.
The purpose of this project is to instill in the women inmates a renewed hope in mankind and to help them become productive citizens upon their release. Our program also stresses the need for inmates to be model prisoners while they are serving their sentences.
On our first visit to the center we delivered a 7 ft. Christmas card which was designed by Mrs. Barrett, a teacher at Hamilton Br. III. The card featured little windows in which each class inscribed their names, Bible verses, and words of encouragement.
On Dec. 21, 1974, through the efforts of Mrs. Deavens, Grace Methodist Church, Pilgrim Congregational Church, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council, and Westside Baptist Church Sunday School class, a bus was chartered in which we were able to take 29 children and 11 adults who were the children and relatives of the inmates to visit with them at Tipton.
The selection of the bus and its driver was arranged by Mr. Randy Nabors, Sutter Presbyterian Church.
When the children and relatives arrived, the long awaited reunion was a most joyous occasion. Many of the women wept unabashedly because most of them had not seen their children for years.
Since then we have visited the Center every two weeks on Saturdays, taking with us such hard to get items as sewing and knitting materials, soap, lotions, face cloths and towels, cigarettes, coffee and sugar, toothpaste and brushes. these items are still needed.
There are thirty-five women in the Center who never receive visitors or who rarely receive mail. These are the ones with whom we are concentrating our efforts.
Jim Kern of Grace and Peace Church donated some New Testament Bibles and has promised to help us gain more items through his congregation.
We will be going to Tipton again on January 18, 1975, and we will be accompanied by several volunteer workers including Mr. and Mrs. Randy Nabors, Mrs. Shirley Deavens Mr. and Mrs. Don Sherow, Mrs. Bernice Brooks, Mrs. Carol Rhem, Mr. Ken Fuchs, and Rev. and Mrs. Lee Hall, Mark and Debbie.
If anyone would like to contribute any of the above needed items they can be left at the Skinker-DeBaliviere office or call Rev. Lee Hall, 725-2741 for pickup.
Originally published in The Paper, February 1975.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1975_02.pdf, printed page(s) 1, 5; PDF page(s) 1, 5.
