Volunteer Spotlight
If you hear that Stephen Dickson is going to jail, don’t worry. He should return soon.
Stephen pictured with Michael, who received parole after spending over 30 years incarcerated
Stephen’s Monday’s are normally spent volunteering at Allendale Correctional Institution, a level 2 prison located about 75 miles northwest of Colleton River.
Stephen’s volunteering started in 2016 when a former Colleton member Julia McLeod brought in a guest speaker to Colleton who also volunteered in the prison. The speaker, Mike Znacko leads recovery programs inside the prison and encouraged Stephen to visit the institution.
Stephen met Warden Pate who talked about a Character program at the prison. The warden said he thought most prisoners would choose a different path if they knew how to take it. The character program teaches the inmates key character traits, provides opportunities for education and outside programs. The warden asked if Stephen could lead a Bible study and a business class and he said ‘sure’.
The warden pointed out two things that impressed Stephen. First, over 85% of the men in prison would get out one day. The warden believed the character program was important because if all you did was lock up the inmates in a cage; upon release, they would act like caged animals. The warden also explained that many of the men came from broken or non-existent families. They may have been addicted to drugs and alcohol and they may have been involved in gangs. You can’t excuse the crimes they committed, but you can understand how their upbringing influenced their decisions.
Stephen was convicted (bad word choice) to volunteer. If a person sincerely wanted to improve their life he wanted to help them along that path.
Stephen has volunteered since 2016, with a break for Covid. After Covid, Stephen began serving under a program called Jumpstart which has a 40 week program based on the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. In addition, Stephen was asked to preach in the prison church once a month in front of over 100 inmates.
One of the men that Stephen worked with was recently released after serving 25 years. This man took art classes in prison that were led by volunteers from Hilton Head Island. This man’s work will be featured in an art exhibit on the Island in October. He has said that Stephen was influential in his life. If you want to help support him, visit GoFundMe and search for "New Beginnings Fund" organized by Delane Marynowski.
“I never thought I would serve in prison ministry, but my service has been a powerful positive force in my life”. Stephen’s faith talks about serving those in prison and he says it is an incredible honor to do so.
Stephen’s volunteering started in 2016 when a former Colleton member Julia McLeod brought in a guest speaker to Colleton who also volunteered in the prison. The speaker, Mike Znacko leads recovery programs inside the prison and encouraged Stephen to visit the institution.
Stephen met Warden Pate who talked about a Character program at the prison. The warden said he thought most prisoners would choose a different path if they knew how to take it. The character program teaches the inmates key character traits, provides opportunities for education and outside programs. The warden asked if Stephen could lead a Bible study and a business class and he said ‘sure’.
The warden pointed out two things that impressed Stephen. First, over 85% of the men in prison would get out one day. The warden believed the character program was important because if all you did was lock up the inmates in a cage; upon release, they would act like caged animals. The warden also explained that many of the men came from broken or non-existent families. They may have been addicted to drugs and alcohol and they may have been involved in gangs. You can’t excuse the crimes they committed, but you can understand how their upbringing influenced their decisions.
Stephen was convicted (bad word choice) to volunteer. If a person sincerely wanted to improve their life he wanted to help them along that path.
Stephen has volunteered since 2016, with a break for Covid. After Covid, Stephen began serving under a program called Jumpstart which has a 40 week program based on the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. In addition, Stephen was asked to preach in the prison church once a month in front of over 100 inmates.
One of the men that Stephen worked with was recently released after serving 25 years. This man took art classes in prison that were led by volunteers from Hilton Head Island. This man’s work will be featured in an art exhibit on the Island in October. He has said that Stephen was influential in his life. If you want to help support him, visit GoFundMe and search for "New Beginnings Fund" organized by Delane Marynowski.
“I never thought I would serve in prison ministry, but my service has been a powerful positive force in my life”. Stephen’s faith talks about serving those in prison and he says it is an incredible honor to do so.