Bunker Hill — Miami Correctional Facility recently honored 13 volunteers for 10 years of service to the facility at its annual Volunteer Appreciation Banquet.
More than 76 volunteers attended the banquet, catered by the Deedsville United Methodist Church. The pastor there is Rev. William Babb, who also serves as chaplain at the prison.
Miami Correctional Facility has more than 350 registered volunteers coming in annually to provide programs. They come from all over the state and some drive from surrounding states to help out.
“Without these people from our communities, Miami Correctional Facility would not be able to provide the number of quality programs we have for the offenders,” Superintendent Mark R. Sevier said.
“They are a crucial part of the facility’s daily operation. Volunteers influence offenders in ways employees cannot. I’m impressed especially with those who have been devoted volunteers here for so long and continue to give of their time. MCF appreciates and honors these individuals.”
In the past year, 36 groups have provided 6,728.25 hours at Miami Correctional Facility in religious and substance abuse programming, the prison reported.
There were 30 individual volunteers providing 2,512.75 hours, which breaks down to 10 mentors for the Purposeful Living Units Serve Program, 12 individuals providing religious programs, six community service providers working with the re-entry program, and two interns.
Each volunteer received a lapel pin in recognition of his or her 10 years of service. All volunteers who were present also received a certificate of appreciation and other small gifts from the facility.
Those recognized for 10 years of service included:
• Marvin Beachy, with Bethany Fellowship Church of Kokomo, who began volunteering in May 1999;
• James Thurston, with Lighthouse Ministries, who began in January 2000;
• Steve Hightower, with First Assembly of God Church of Kokomo, who began in Feb. 2000;
• Steve Bluse, with Little Flock Ministries, and Ken Nowak, with the Social Security Administration, who started in March 2000;
• John Moore and Mike Gifford, with Seventh Day Adventist Church in Kokomo, and Michael Pickett, with Substance Abuse Programs, who began in April 2000;
• David Geary, with Lighthouse Ministries, Evelyn Willis, with Zion Tabernacle Church of Kokomo, Julie Butus, with Miami County Extension Service, Rosemary Rhodes and Robert Rhodes, with St. Charles Catholic Church of Peru, who all began in May 2000.
Volunteers at MCF donated 9,241 hours of time to offender programs between April 2009 and March 2010. Some of the largest totals came from the following groups:
• Zion Tabernacle Church of Kokomo, which put in 1,043.5
• Kairos group, which put in 998.5 hours
• And St. Charles Catholic Church of Peru, which put in 517.5 hours
Some of the top individual volunteers included:
• Lon Henderson, with 484.25 hours
• Glenn Atkinson, with 226.25 hours
• Raymond Koons, with 196.5 hours
• And Jim Pratt, with 154.5 hours
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