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Community Chaplaincy

What is Community Chaplaincy?

Community Chaplaincy supports offenders (and their families) as they re-enter society. It involves a chaplain and numerous volunteers from the faith community. They serve out of a deep sense of vocation and conviction and offer a wide variety of assistance. This service is provided under contract with Correctional Service of Canada although it operates independently of it.

Core Values and Objectives

Community Chaplaincy:

  • Respects the dignity of individuals, and the rights of all members of society.
  • Believes in the potential for human growth and development.
  • Respects the social, cultural and religious differences of individual offenders.
  • Recognizes that offenders have the potential to live as law-abiding citizens.

Purpose

Community Chaplaincy contributes to the protection of society by actively encouraging and assisting offenders to safely and successfully re-enter society by providing them with practical, spiritual, emotional and social support.

Key Roles

Journeying is central to the work of Community Chaplaincy. Key areas of involvement include:

  • Spiritual support
  • Emotional support
  • Support with medical concerns
  • Mental health support
  • Practical assistance
  • Finding appropriate housing
  • Finding employment
  • Addictions
  • Self-help programs
  • Community access
  • Various mentorship groups
  • Others, as needed

Volunteers


Community Chaplaincy needs volunteers who are interested in serving their community and able to commit to journeying with individuals as they re-enter the community from prison. Volunteers receive training and support for the opportunities that exist.

Volunteers are motivated to give of themselves and their time for a variety of reasons which include:

  • Wish to promote restorative justice
  • Desire to give back to their community
  • Care about the safety of their community
  • Feel drawn towards working with marginalized people
  • Need a valuable place to offer their free time
  • Wish to promote healing in their community.

 

For more information on Community Chaplaincy, or on how to get involved, contact:
Peter Worsley
Community Chaplain
Mennonite Central Committe Alberta
(403)275-6935