Prison Ministries

We are supporting two prison ministries:

Oakland City University's New Community Project at the Indiana Women's Prisons - Mosquito Nets for Sudan

Church Services at the Indiana Women's Prison, Indianapolis

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Mosquito Nets for Sudan - Oakland City University's
New Community Project with the Indiana Women's Prisons

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Indy New Thought Living, Oakland City University's New Community Project and the Indiana Women's Prison are working together to help women at the prison make mosquito nets for Sudan. These nets protect children (and adults) from mosquitoes that carry malaria and other tropical diseases.

Oakland City University has dedicated itself to providing an institution of higher learning offering its students room to advance intellectually, mentally, and spiritually. By providing positive leadership through community service, Oakland City University has been able to touch many lives, building strong ethical and moral values while allowing each student to recognize his or her potential. With this in mind, we have been part of institutional learning in several Indiana prisons.  We have been able to successfully offer a management class that allowed the students housed at the Indiana Women’s Prison Campus to touch the world on a global level.

In the time it took to tuck your child into bed last night or even to tie her shoe, a child in Africa took his last breathe. Thirty seconds seems like such a small amount of time. However, in just thirty seconds a precious life can be lost.

The number one cause of death in Africa is a disease transmitted by an insect smaller than the tip of your finger:  a mosquito. This life-destroying disease called malaria is robbing Africa of its families, communities, and economic possibilities.

Each year 300 to 500 million people become acutely ill and more than 1.2 million die from this devastating disease. More than 90 percent of the deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially among children under five. In this age group, malaria kills more children than any other single infection. This equates to one child dying every 30 seconds. Children who survive severe malaria may suffer from brain damage, learning difficulties, or paralysis. Pregnant women and their unborn offspring are also particularly at risk, and malaria is a major cause of infant death, low birth weight, and maternal anemia (World Health Organization [WHO], 2008).

History has shown that mosquito control is possible with phenomenal results. Early large-scale experimental trials of insecticide-treated bed nets demonstrated that this intervention was able to dramatically reduce malaria. Nets have been used for a long time as a protection against mosquitoes and offer the best method of controlling the spread of malaria.

Our Mission

To save lives one net at a time. We are dedicated to preserving life and giving hope. In a place where difficult challenges are met everyday we are committed to helping heal those in need through dedicated hard work and passion, keeping in mind there is always a chance for a brighter future.

Our Goal

With the inspiration of the New Community Project, Oakland City University, located at the Indiana Women’s Prison, has established the One Net-One Life Project.

Instead of the typical cone- shaped net, we have created a unique rectangular design that has solid material on the top and bottom of the net.  The benefits of this design are:  it prevents the spread of malaria, supplies a top barrier that aids in preventing secondary diseases and infections caused by rodent droppings and termite dust that may seep through the holes of the net, and provides a bottom layer of material for tucking the net safely under the mattress to prevent tears in the netting material.

Our goal is to make enough nets to furnish an entire village of 4000 in Africa.

Through a generous donation of $5,000 from the New Community Project, we were able to begin manufacturing the first 350 nets which are complete and ready to send to Africa for treatment and distribution. It is through the generosity of others we are able to continue our drive to meet our goal.  It is our hope that others will follow the lead of the New Community Project and help in this endeavor to save lives.

Our Vision

To recognize a global difference one village at a time.

For more information on how you can help, contact:

Kristie Stewart
Program Coordinator
One Net-One Life
(OCU-IWP)
(317) 639-2671 ext. 327

 

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Church Services offered at the prison

Rev Gloria has held two services at the prison in the last year, with attendance of 100 for the first service and 130 for the second. Normally services at the prison run 25 to 30. The second service (New Years Eve) was a Burning Bowl service, with the melting of Japanese paper in water, rather than the usual fire, because of prison regulations. These services made quite an impression on the women and they often ask when Rev Gloria is coming back.