If you have been in Peterborough for a few years you will know that it has become something of a tradition for local churches and people of good will to provide chocolates for those who will be living and working in prison over the Christmas season. Would your congregation be able to help us in this act of Christian kindness?
As a chaplaincy team, we are able – by courtesy of different charities – to provide a diary, a calendar and a Christmas card in addition to some chocolates,. For some of our residents this package of goodies will be the only present they have for Christmas.
If you and/or your congregation are able to help, we are asking for the 740-800 gram sized tubs of ‘Heroes’, ‘Quality Street’, ‘Celebration’ or ‘Roses’, all of which are now, or soon will be, on special offer at many supermarkets. Also, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons’s have tubs of own brand chocolates. Some shops have a ‘buy one, get one free’ promotion. It is really helpful if you stick just to the tubs, as they all have to be unpacked and put into bags for each resident.
You might like to know that, with around 1150 people in the prison, we need sixteen tubs in order to be provide one sweet per person: you will therefore appreciate that we need quite a few tubs if we are going to provide even two or three chocolates to each person, so the more tubs the merrier. Last year, through your generosity, we were able to give each resident over 25 sweets, which was a magnificent achievement.
What many churches do, is have one person coordinate the efforts of their own congregation, and then bring all the tubs to the prison in one go. We will need all the tubs to be delivered around 15/16 December in order that we have time to do the packing for each resident. If you are planning on taking part would you please let me know as soon as you can: I will then send you details of when and where to deliver the tubs. My email address is: Paul.Alphonse@sodexogov.co.uk
This kindness from local people is really appreciated by our residents, and those residents who have been here over a Christmas in the past are already asking if we are going to do it again this year. We know from previous years that many residents are deeply touched that people are thinking of them at this special time.
With grateful thanks in advance and every blessing on you as you prepare for this busy season of the year and I continue to pray for the health and wellness of you and your family.