A team of 30 volunteers is headed to Arizona to bring the spirit of aloha to 2,000 Hawaii inmates at the Saguaro Correctional Center, a new facility built specifically for Hawaii inmates. The mission, spearheaded by Spirit of Aloha Outreaches and New Hope Christian Fellowship Prison Ministry is threefold: 1) to establish a productive relationship with correctional center management, 2) to minister aloha to the inmates, and 3) to lay the groundwork to connect them with their families via video teleconferencing. Through this program, inmates will be able to have regular video visitations with their children and families. The goal of these virtual visits is to strengthen family units and transform broken and estranged relationships typical with imprisonment.

Prison Ministry Chaplain, Roy Yamamoto, a former inmate himself, has laid the foundation for this outreach. He said, “God's vision for this event has given me my purpose to remember Hebrews 13:3 – ‘Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.’” In that spirit, the team will spend five days at the center conducting church services, Bible studies, as well as small group and journaling sessions with the inmates. Workshops designed to train the inmates to lead themselves in spiritual enrichment and study will also be given. The outreach week will culminate with a luau. Each inmate will also receive a care package consisting of socks, toiletries, kaki mochi and other local goodies.

Community support is a vital part of the success of this project. For more information on how you can support or get involved with this Spirit of Aloha outreach, call 842-4242 ext. 405 or visit www.thespiritofaloha.org.