Care Packages at WCCW and MCCCW
We had so much fun working with our partners at TCC to create care packages for WCCW and Mission Creek! Spring was an especially challenging season at the prisons where we work, with mandated cohorting (aka near-complete lockdown) further limiting already reduced access to programming and time spent outside the units. This had a serious impact on morale and mental health at the prison, so the education team wanted to step up and show support, not just to our students, but to everyone living at WCCW and Mission Creek.
For those who might not know, FEPPS is one of two education programs at WCCW. We offer a liberal arts degree alongside our friends at Tacoma Community College, who run GED and vocational college programs. We decided to pool resources and create care packages together, and we were all grateful to have a larger team - it takes a long time to pack 800+ bags!
In the care packages, we tried to include a variety of fun and useful items, including food (ramen, beef jerky, granola bars, candy, tea, coffee, lemonade, trail mix, miso soup), hygiene products (toothpaste, pads, tampons), a pad of paper and some pens. Board members from FEPPS and the TCC Foundation hand wrote messages of support on greeting cards, and we included information on how to get involved in both education programs. Thank you to the TCC Foundation for a $7000 contribution towards supplies!
This is the first time we’ve done something like this, so it was a learning experience for all involved, but totally worth it.
