Inmates at the Bowden Institution handed off a year's worth of woodworking and leather work to local charities last week.
During a dinner July 18 inside the prison, members of the Lifers Group served up dinner and handed over work to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Innisfail.
“We donate to different charities,” said Rob Bell, inmate and one of five members of the committee that leads the Lifers Group. He said the committee is focused on providing inmates with a way to ease their time, especially those with an indeterminate sentence.
There is a leather and woodworking shop inside the prison. Bell said most men who get involved with these hobbies already know the skill. Some of the handcrafted items given away last week included belts, bracelets and jewelry boxes.
They are typically given to organizations to use as prizes for competitions or raffles. The Big Brothers Big Sisters collected the goods last week to pass on to the Central Alberta Rural Electrification Association for its annual golf tournament July 25.
Other places the group donates to include the Mustard Seed in Calgary and Edmonton, the Innisfail Food Bank, and the Grandview Break Program. They make bracelets with “choices” etched into them. They are handed out to students at schools as part of a choices program.
“They are given out to students of all ages from elementary to college level,” he said.
The group also helped with a refurbishing and cleaning project at the Ritson-Bennett Park. Last week they had two clear garbage bags full of pop tabs to donate to the Elks who have them melted down to make wheelchairs. Bell said they donate tabs yearly.
“It can be calming,” said Steven Shutte, another inmate on the committee. “When you consider the population of the institution it helps with the harmony. Some people are in here for five, 10, 15 or more years, and it helps make sure things run smoothly.”
