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In January, I did some volunteer work for the first time. It was part of my new year’s resolution to make everything I do count–no more filling up time slots with meaningless activities.

I went to an orientation with Greater DC Cares, a non-profit group that basically galvanises volunteers to a more effective way of reaching out to the DC community. There are different levels of commitment and also leadership training. I decided to take it one small step at a time and so picked something off their monthly calendar called Books to Prisons to do one night.

A small group of maybe 10 of us gathered in the basement of a church where there was a mini library of donated books. We were supposed to read letters sent by inmates to the organisation requesting books, get those books or similar ones to send and also include a letter if we could.

The idea of sharing what you felt was a great read with someone who had no other means of entertainment seemed quite cool at first. Then it became a burden when you realised this was all they were getting for maybe a couple of months and if they didn’t like it, that would really suck. But there were so many letters to answer and not a huge variety of books to pick from that you really stopped thinking about it so much.

Reading the first few letters made me choke up a little. I have never known anyone who has been to prison before and reading a personal letter saying “i am incarcerated…” is kind of shocking and sad at the same time. I didn’t think about the crime that led to this but the idea of being imprisoned, stuck in a cold hard place surrounded by strangers. It was slightly comforting though to know that some had heard of the program through another inmate, they had a friend at least.

There was also the matter of writing a letter to these strangers. What in the world do you say to someone who is stuck in prison and wants some reading material that might help them when they get out? My first letter was so incredibly idiotic. I said “It’s cool what you are doing with your time in prison.” COOL?!! UGH!! I am such an idiot. But I didn’t want to waste the limited letterheads so i moved on. It got easier as I did. I concentrated on their choice of books and apologised for not being able to get exact requests and said I hoped they liked the selection. Some of the inmates asked for tons of books but because the organisation, which is independent of Greater DC Cares, was running at a deficit and postage was their main expense, we had to try and keep the parcel weight under 2 lbs.

I also signed off each letter with only my first name. It probably would’ve been better of me to print my full name but I was paranoid too since I’m pretty sure I’m the only person with my full name. I know, there is so much inconsistency in all of that, I’m sorry.

Anyway, I went home hoping I’d at least eased someone’s boredom.