Over 50 volunteers to the Jail Chaplaincy of Kenosha were recognized for their giving and service to the inmates at the Kenosha County Correctional Facility at the group’s Second Annual Volunteer Recognition Evening on Thursday night, February 10th.
The dinner was hosted by the Jail Chaplaincy Board in the public meeting room of the Kenosha Public Museaum. In addition to the 50 certificates given at the dinner, jail chaplain Hasam Hakeem announced five special awards. These were presented to –
- Cindy Bryan of the Kenosha Public Library for leading the jail’s Big Read of John Ernst Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrathâ€;
- Pasture Mark Barnett of Pleasant Prairie’s Apostolic Faith Church of for logging the most volunteer hours;
- Jim Kuffel received the RSVP Award. Accepting for Jim was Don Bernardt;
- Mary Nell Sauls was given the “Volunteer of the Year†award; and
- Grace Kolakowski received recognition for her work at the jail with the Bible study group.
Kenosha County Sheriff David G. Beth was the keynote speaker.
“Our volunteers, their programs and their passion provides services that impact peoples lives long beyond the end of their incarceration,†Beth said.
In addition, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Zion, chaplain Hakeem’s mosque, presented a gift of $5,000 to the Jail Chaplaincy. The money is to be spent helping inmates purchase necessary items, from Christmas cards and stamps to soaps and toothpaste.
The Jail Chaplaincy works to provide pastoral care and various religious services to inmates regardless of their beliefs, denominations and religious beliefs.
Here’s some video of Beth and assistant chaplain Robin Thielsen talking about the chaplaincy and its positive effects:
