In 2006, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina left the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCIW) at max capacity and in need of additional hygiene supplies for the women serving sentences. The prison chaplain at the time reached out to the Louisiana Baptist Women’s Missions and Ministry team to request help for fulfilling the prison’s needs. The women responded enthusiastically…and they still do!

Each fall, churches from around the state collect prison-approved items and pack them into gift boxes. Volunteers hand out the boxes in person to those incarcerated. In 2025, one thousand boxes were packed and delivered thanks to the cooperative efforts of Louisiana Baptist churches and volunteers.

The boxes meet more than just physical needs; they open hearts to the Gospel. A recipient of the boxes, Demetricy, says the message of the boxes is, “God loves you. God sees you, and he wants you to, at least today, have a smile on your face. And that’s what those boxes did for us.”

Chaplain Debi Sharkey explains, “The thing that those ladies need is hope that…they’re not forgotten, that their lives are not ended, that God actually has a plan and a purpose for their lives.”