It is the one-on-one volunteer I seek most, in wanting our prisons to have more volunteers. While attending the open house on the prisons Wednesday, I asked one of the officials what kind of things the volunteers are doing.
Helping with family home evenings and church services and such, came the answer. He also mentioned a mentoring program. Those are good things.
I reflect on what other things a volunteer might do. Just sitting and talking, would be one. Just listening to and offering advice. Or, you could teach them. A volunteer could teach them to read, or how to do math, or all about science.
Here's what I'm thinking, though. The real value of a volunteer lies in how well that volunteer provides two things: love and being an example. You can be an example while conducting a FHE lesson in front of a classroom, but in order to give love, it is more effective when you are just one-on-one.
The prisoner sometimes gets love, sometimes doesn't. Sometimes family members come in and show love, and sometimes the prisoner goes without any at all. That, then -- providing love -- becomes a value of the volunteer.
Being an example? That is a huge need. So often we do not learn something unless someone shows us how. So it is, we don't change our character unless we see someone model for us how we should behave. Now, do we leave the prisoner to find role models from fellow inmates and from his friends and family who come visiting?
Or, do we bring in positive role models? Do we bring in volunteers who serve as examples?
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