Last Sunday, Oct. 27, people gathered in Johnson Gym to help pack care packages that will be delivered to prisoners around the holidays. The event, called “Christmas Behind Bars,” continued despite a recent cut to Andrews University’s Change Day program, which is when it was typically held. Last year, the Lake Union Herald reported that about 9,000 bags were filled, and this year, coordinators aimed to complete 8,000 packages.
Christmas Behind Bars is a initiative that aims to spread hope by assembling care packages for inmates. The organization behind the initiative—founded by former inmate Lemuel Vega—says its mission is “to reach the souls of the incarcerated for Christ.”
In an effort to generate interest in the project, the Center for Faith Engagement posted an advertisement on the Andrews Agenda: “We are looking for 300 students, families, and community members to help us pack 8,000 packages for a Christmas Behind Bars project that will send care packages and encouraging literature to incarcerated individuals.”
The community response did not disappoint. Volunteers flocked to the gym Sunday morning, all eager to help. They formed assembly lines, passing packages down the rows as they added various items—graham crackers, ramen noodles, candy and glow tracts—until the bags were filled and placed into boxes for transport. Some participants playfully challenged themselves to carry multiple bags, toting three, four or five at once. Initially set to last six hours, the event concluded three hours early as supplies quickly ran low. Despite falling short of their goal, coordinators announced that 6,300 packages had been filled with the help of everyone who attended.
Students took notice of the large turnout. One Andrews University student volunteer, Julia Orsburn (sophomore, exercise science), noted there were “a couple hundred” at least.
“We were running out of things for people to do, and the lines were getting shut down after two hours,” she said, further emphasizing how quickly volunteers were able to finish.
Another student, Marco Sciarabba (freshman, theology), shared how meaningful the experience was for him.
“I thought it was a really amazing project to be able to help people,” he said. “I was motivated not only to get service hours but also just because it helps people. It made an impact on me.”
This sentiment was echoed by many participants: They were happy to be helping others.
Teamwork was evident throughout the event. Cheers and clapping erupted as the last box was completed and loaded into a trailer, and almost everyone had a bright smile on their face. A gentleman thanked volunteers for helping and encouraged them to return next year. The volunteers who helped assemble the boxes seemed to reflect the positive impact these care packages will have on the prisoners. Overall, the initiative not only generated a large turnout of people eager to make a difference, but it also demonstrated what can be accomplished through teamwork.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.