An Exciting Update From Our OPOP Team

Our incarcerated OPOP friend is now our released friend! Shawnna was released from prison last Friday morning. Sue Foyle and Barb Fandrich (members of FUMCO’s OPOP team) picked her up at WCCW, the Gig Harbor Correctional Facility. After letting the Administration know we were there, Shawnna came out into the parking lot with a few boxes of her belongings – needless to say we got and gave lots of hugs. After talking on the phone and e-mailing for many months, we enjoyed face-to-face talking and laughing at our stop for coffee and on the ride back to Olympia. After making the required check-in at the Department of Corrections in Lacey, the three of us enjoyed lunch together.

Shawnna now begins her journey to a new life which will include job, GED, driver’s license, housing, and renewing her relationships with family. We gave her a small welcome home bag with the all-important cellphone plus some treats, books, and the wonderful cards and notes that FUMCO congregation members were able to write for her.

Donations from this congregation help our OPOP released friends navigate and remove some of the many barriers and obstacles in the path of a newly released inmate. Some of those financial burdens that Shawnna will have include household costs, outstanding court fees and fines, driver’s license and auto insurance fees, and more, while she looks for employment. OPOP team members will assist with transportation to appointments, but we still need to raise another $1,000 to help Shawnna.

If you feel called to help, please consider donating to FUMCO’s OPOP fund (managed and overseen by FUMCO pastors and team). You can select "One Parish Parish One Prisoner" from the dropdown menu on our website giving page: https://fumcoly.org/give