River of Refuge newsletter, January 2026

Unlikely Source Provides River of Refuge Families with Cozy Gifts

If you were to guess the group that has donated handmade quilts, scarves and hats to River of Refuge, what would it be?

Chances are men serving time at the state prison in St. Joseph, Missouri, would not be one of the first thoughts that came to mind, but it is the correct answer nonetheless.

In the second half of last year, the prison donated more than 90 inmate-made items.

The relationship, which prison staffer Stacey Poirier initiated following a Google search last summer, is not one-sided. Offenders like Timothy Barnett are as happy to provide the items as River of Refuge is to receive them for its families.

Quilting allows Barnett to put his artistic skills to use while doing good at the same time. He knows from experience the struggles River of Refuge families face.

“And so being able to not only put my artwork out there, but giving back to someone that doesn’t have it or needs it, that’s the true blessing,” he said.

Poirier assembled Barnett and some of his co-workers for a Zoom call from her office earlier this month. Poirier is the institutional activities coordinator at what is officially known as the Western Reception Diagnostic Correctional Center (WRDCC).

The St. Joseph inmates perform the work through the Restorative Justice Organization (RJO) at WRDCC. Restorative Justice is a program, which according to the Missouri Department of Corrections, allows offenders to “serve fellow citizens and strengthen social bonds that serve as the foundation of communities.”

WRDCC inmates also take part in other Restorative Justice programs, including working a garden that grows fresh produce they donate to community organizations and socializing rescue dogs for adoption to Missouri households through the Puppies for Parole program.

Some of the participating offenders also take part in the prison’s Therapeutic Community program, which includes anger-management classes and 12-step programs for helping beat substance abuse.

TC participants make the hats and scarves in their cells. They also create afghans and Christmas stockings around the holidays. The quilting room is adjacent to Poirier’s office.

The inmates raise all the money for the craft supplies through food they sell in the canteen. The menu now includes chicken nuggets and powdered sugar donuts. Funds leftover after taxes and canteen fees go back to the Restorative Justice program.

Poirier spends $1,000 a month on yarn, and she recently spent the same amount on a sewing machine.

The inmates allocate monetary donations to nonprofits when the Restorative Justice account exceeds the $10,000 threshold. The donations typically range between $500 and $1,000, and the group was preparing to send one to River of Refuge.

Working on the projects breaks up the tedium of prison life, said Levi Dean.

“It’s really just relaxing while you’re sitting there doing it,” he said. “All you’re thinking about is the process of making the scarves and hats and stuff — you’re just kind of zoning out the rest of what’s going on around you.”

Dean said donating to River of Refuge was especially meaningful for him because his wife lived in transitional housing after he went to prison. “So I like to give back to those kinds of places as much as I can,” he said.

The quilting room is more interactive.

“The guys … sit over there, they cut, they talk, they sew, listen to music, you know, just kind of more social, but also they’re working,” Poirier said.”So that is one of the ways they benefit, but also it gives them a way to make reparations to the community.”

Poirier said the work also shows DOC officials that, “I’m working on something here. I’m creating something positive out of a bad situation.” She sends letters on the workers’ behalf when they are up for parole.

Poirier happened upon River of Refuge when she searched the internet for area transitional housing programs. She was wondering about other places they could donate to outside of the ones they were already working with in St. Joe.

River of Refuge staff was thrilled to hear from Poirier out of the blue.

“Got the call!!” River of Refuge announced on its Facebook page in July with photos of the donated items. “You know what we mean if you work in the non-profit world. The call that says I want to donate stuff.”

“ … to know they came from someone who is currently institutionalised means a lot,” the post added. “We love that there are such things as Activities Coordinators in these state facilities.”

Poirier posts thank yous from recipients on a wall outside her office. River of Refuge’s Facebook post is there.

“River Refuge was one of them that stuck out with these guys, that it was really special how much they could tell that they were appreciated,” she said, “and that means everything in a place where they don’t always get positive affirmations all the time.”

River of Refuge executive director, Pam Seymour, said some of the remaining items will be welcomed during this cold weather by families that have recently moved into the program.

She said she was “so happy to hear they do this in prison. In my mind, it is rehabilitation.”

The Restorative Justice program is not for everyone.

Dean said some of his peers wonder why he puts in so much work when he gets nothing material in return. But the men said the only razzing they get about doing work typically associated with women comes only from them poking fun at themselves.

“These guys — they’re the best,” Poirier said. “They’re out here trying to do something positive and making the best of the situation that they’re in. … They work hard, and they do great things, and we appreciate them a lot.”

 

Revisiting the Glow of the Holidays

How many weeks until spring?

With frigid temperatures upon us, it’s a good time to revisit the warmth River of Refuge received from the community around the holidays — even beyond the generosity that Executive Director Pam Seymour highlighted in her letter in last month’s newsletter.

One of the more interesting experiences came a couple weeks before Thanksgiving, when rather than making lemonade out of lemons, we turned a sloppy mess into sloppy joes. Well, not exactly, but here’s what happened:

We initially received a shipment of Manwich sauce and Lucky Charms a donor had purchased for us off of our Amazon wishlist. Terrific! But when we opened the box, we found the sauce had leaked all over the cereal. Bummer!

We put out an appeal on Facebook to find the donor.

She saw the post, got a credit from Amazon, and came by with replacement items.

And then about a week before Christmas, second graders from Laurel Hills Elementary School in Raytown brought 181 items they collected for our food and hygiene pantries. The teacher used the donation as a math exercise as the kids unpacked the boxes.

We were also blessed with assistance from local members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

One family from the church purchased gifts for the kids in one of our families. Another gentleman from the church bought meat our families could prepare for Christmas meals.

We also received donations for our pantries from the choir at Country Club Christian Church and NextPage, a commercial printing and direct mail company. In addition, Affinis Corp., an Overland Park, Kansas, engineering firm, provided a generous monetary donation.

Holiday assistance is wonderful. River of Refuge is thankful for the generosity it receives year around from all of its supporters.

 

FROM THE DIRECTOR

It has already been almost a month since we bid farewell to 2025.

But with apologies to lovers of the Scottish tune “Auld Lang Syne,” I’m saying no to the question of “Should old acquaintances be forgotten/And never brought to mind?”

I never lose sight of our small but dedicated staff, incredible board members, and, most importantly, the many supporters who have championed this mission over the years. We appreciate you deeply.

One person in particular here at River of Refuge we always keep close to our hearts is longtime team member, Dianna Poston, who stepped away to become the full‑time caregiver for her mother, who is living with Alzheimer’s.

We are grateful that Dianna and her mother continue to stay connected, and that her ministry still blesses our River of Refuge families. She now hosts a community dinner for our residents on the last Tuesday of each month.

Other happy reflections from 2025 are:

Program Impact

• 39 families served, totaling 152 individuals — 47 adults and 105 children. Several were single-parent, single‑child households.
• 16,184 bednights provided, including 9,398 nights for children, along with 36,900 meal equivalents.
• 18 families graduated from the program, all moving into permanent housing.
• Among the 21 families who did not complete the program, 7 left voluntarily, 6 were terminated, and 8 remain enrolled into 2026 with planned graduation in Q1.

A Major Milestone

Since the program’s launch in May 2016, families have now surpassed $500,000 in total debt paid — and more than $500,000 saved. This achievement speaks to the resilience and determination of the families we serve.

Diversity in Our Community

Our 2025 participants reflect the wide diversity of our region:

• 66% African American
• 11% Caucasian
• 1% Native American Indian
• 17% Mixed race
• 5% Hispanic

Additionally, 55% of those served were female and 45% were male.

Looking Ahead to 2026

We are excited about the possibility of finally building a playground for the children in our program — a dream shared by many for years and a personal goal of mine since joining the organization in 2020. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for updates as this project develops.

Thank you again for being part of this mission.

Until Next Time,
Pamela Seymour, Executive Director