Over the course of the last year, The Vivian Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the children of incarcerated parents, has either purchased or been given over 90,000 books from BroadStreet Publishing. These books include Call Me Vivian by Katherine Scheller, Majestic Expression coloring books, children and adult devotionals and journals, and other Christian titles.
Katherine Scheller, the founder of The Vivian Foundation says, “God always knows the plan that will touch and move hearts!”
Scottie Barnes at Forgiven Ministry Inc. says, “I never would have dreamed that Forgiven Ministry would have a coloring book ministry added to their many areas of reaching inmates for Christ. The Holy Spirit of our living Lord goes in with every coloring book and through the scripture on the pages Christ speaks to each heart as they color.”
To date, coloring books have been delivered to the following institutions:
- North Carolina Correctional Institute for Women, Raleigh, North Carolina (1,700 coloring books)
- Avery Mitchell Correctional (Men), Spruce Pine, North Carolina (864 coloring books)
- Foothills Correctional (Men), Morganton, North Carolina (687 coloring books)
- Caldwell Correctional (Men), Hudson, North Carolina (350 coloring books)
- Nash Correctional (Men), Nashville, North Carolina (625 coloring books)
- Huron Valley Women’s Prison, Ypsilanti, Michigan (2,500 coloring books)
- Alexander Correctional Institute (Men), Taylorsville, North Carolina (1,300 coloring books)
Forgiven Ministry has also blessed thousands of children of incarcerated parents at their One Day with God camps. The most recent donation of 15,000 coloring books will find their way into prisons in Georgia and North Carolina this year.
It should be noted that the pages the inmates and children color quiet their spirit and help them in a positive way. In one particular instance, a coloring book saved a life! The inmates also send to their families the colored pages, which the families are thrilled to receive from their incarcerated love one.
Forgiven Ministry is active in 43 prisons in seven states (North Carolina, Texas, Louisiana, Michigan, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia).
The Vivian Foundation, which was founded in May of 2015, also has an outreach program for inmates through which they have been able to bless numerous ministries that are in the trenches helping these families.
In addition to helping Forgiven Ministry, The Vivian Foundation has shipped thousands of coloring books, devotionals, and journals to the Prison Book Project (Titusville, Florida), Christian Library International (Raleigh, North Carolina), Wings for Life International (Albuquerque, New Mexico), On Wings like a Dove (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), Angela’s House (Houston, Texas) and the Washington Corrections Center for Women (Gig Harbor, Washington).
Over 7,000 Call Me Vivian books have been distributed to over 2,190 jails and prisons across the United States thanks to the Prison Book Project and Christian Library International.
Locally, they have supported Redgranite Correctional Institution (Redgranite, Wisconsin), Milwaukee Women’s Correctional Center, Milwaukee Country Jails, Kenosha County Jail, the Salvation Army of Southeastern Wisconsin, Youth for Christ of Southeastern Wisconsin and Zion Illinois, Teen Reach Adventure Camps, Faith, Hope and Love for Kids and a number of local churches, nursing homes, and high schools.
To learn more about The Vivian Foundation or Forgiven Ministry visit their websites at www.thevivianfoundation.com and www.forgivenministry.org.
