Prisoners Donate $8,500 to CCS’ Domestic Violence Shelter

By Carissa Krautscheid

Prison inmates in Yuma and Douglas donated almost $8,500 to Catholic Community Services (CCS). As an inmate-driven fundraiser, the prisoners voted where to designate the proceeds from their snack bar and cantina. In the past, prisoners in Florence and Coolidge have supported CCS as well.

The funds provided support for CCS’s House of Hope Domestic Violence Shelter in Douglas, AZ. “With their help,” said Joe Leisz, Development Director at CCS, “House of Hope will continue to provide a safe haven for victims of domestic violence as they move towards self-sufficiency, independence, and freedom from abuse.”

Catholic Community Services expressed their gratitude to the inmates in Southern Arizona for supporting local families in need.

“These Domestic Violence Shelters provide a welcoming and safe environment for those needing support to leave a harmful situation,” the CCS website explains. “Emergency shelter is available for survivors – both men and women with children who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, and trafficking. Case Managers and advocates are available 24/7 to provide program screening, resources, and community referrals. The Case Managers also have the ability to work with other shelters to help with relocation services if that may be necessary. House of Hope also provides transitional living where case managers work to ensure needed resources remain in place while residents build the confidence to succeed on their own. This program is vital to break the generational cycle of violence and empower survivors to build the skills and supports necessary to thrive long-term.”

Separately, Catholic Community Services ministers to prisoners and other people affected by crime through the Kolbe Society. Seeking to “meet the spiritual needs of men, women, and youth in prisons, jails, and detention centers in the Diocese of Tucson,” the Kolbe Society offers Masses, Communion services, pastoral counseling, evangelization, Bible study, religious education, and sacramental preparation. Additionally, they provide shuttle services to prisons outside of Tucson to keep families connected, as well as ministering to victims of crime through prayer, support, and healing services. Mentors from Kolbe Society walk with those who are released from incarceration to “accompany parolees as they rebuild their lives.”