I got such a shock, but a very nice one. It felt so good to have my peers acknowledge the work that I’ve been doing placing Inspirational Books into the Irish Prison Service. They understand the effort that this involves.
This video shows part of the citation. The full text is below the video. Despite the editing out of the part where I stood open-mouthed, I think my shock is still evident.
It’s really only since I received this Award that it’s dawned on me what I’ve accomplished. Not alone, absolutely not, but in partnership with Speaking Volumes. But there would also be no books to place if there weren’t authors, publishers, editors, sales agents, customer services, stock controllers, goods outwards, couriers, and Customs. There would be no way to place the books into the Prisons without Release Prison Partnership, Chaplains, Staff Librarians, and God-connections. So this Award is as much for all of them as it is for me.
A friend who works with the Irish Prison Service in a completely different context told me of her amazement, citing the resistance to new ideas within Prisons. But then who can blame Prison staff for being conservative when they must constantly guard against escape opportunities?
About the Speaking Volumes grants, I said to Paula Renouf, ‘See what you started’. But her response was, ‘See how you ran with it’. But God placed a door in front of me that I knew I had to push. It took a lot of pushing, and a lot of patience and tenacity. But when God has His hand over your hand on a door handle, you know that eventually it will swing open. It’s been quite the adventure!
You can read how this adventure started by clicking here.
‘It gives me great pleasure to make this Award. For those of you following us in the Together magazine, the recipient will actually come as no surprise, as we have charted the story as it progresses.
The call to place books into prisons was met with much enthusiasm by many Bookshops. But one Bookshop didn’t just manage to place books in their local prison. They actually placed them in every prison in their country. That’s incredible in itself. But they didn’t just leave the books there. They’ve gone on to develop excellent relationships with the Prison Library Service, Chaplains, and providers of welfare services. This means that the books supplied were relevant and well used.
We are now assisting the Bookshop to supply more books according to specific needs, such as Bible story books which are read over the phone by inmates to their children at bedtime, books for Rehab Centres where ex-offenders and addicts can strengthen their newfound faith found whilst in prison.
The gifts of Christian books has also opened up many more opportunities for Christian witness and social work with offenders. What this Bookshop has done is in the true spirit of the parable of the talents, taking what is given and doubling the effect.
Julie Carvill of ChristianBooks.ie, your Bookshop is the winner of our Community Impact Award. Thank You for what you’ve done, and are still doing.’