Free prison shuttle ministry seeks funds for expansion

The Use What You’ve Got Prison Ministry (UWYGPM) hosted their annual informational breakfast April 25 to educate the public about their mission and encourage donations for their upcoming projects. Cecelia Whitfield welcomes guests and speaks about the needs and future plans for the Use What You’ve Got Prison Ministry. (Photo/Hanna Rauworth) Spearheaded by Cecelia Whitfield, UWYGPM was a service born out of personal experience. The mother of an incarcerated person, she realized the lack of resources some family members had when it came to transportation to visit their loved ones. As a result, she created a bus ministry dedicated to shuttling families to and from prisons all over the state of Indiana. “We have this breakfast to share with everyone about the Use What You Got program…We are the hidden victims. We can’t do this by ourselves,” said Whitfield, explaining the purpose of the annual breakfast. The “hidden victims” are, in their words, families of imprisoned individuals without access to transportation to visit their loved ones – a challenge that makes these family members also feel as if they are imprisoned. Founded in 1988, the nonprofit program facilitates travel to nearly 20 correctional facilities across Indiana and five juvenile correctional...