CHILLICOTHE, Mo. — The art of crocheting is a skill often passed down from woman to woman.
That was the case for a group of women that 41 Action News met at the Chillicothe Correctional Center on a January morning. Two of the inmates had learned how to crochet from their relatives, while a third said that she learned in prison.
The inmates, all wearing khaki uniforms, sat in a visiting room across from three other women, all wearing red, from Saint Luke's Muriel I. Kauffman Women's Heart Center.
Marcia McCoy, the center's director, came to meet and thank the inmates for the intricate scarves they had made for patients.
"The red scarf lets women know that they're not alone in their fight against or their journey with their heart disease or condition," McCoy said.
The scarves are delivered to patients by Pathway to Purpose volunteers, women who are themselves survivors of heart disease. Although the program has been around for years, the batch of donations from the prison last year caught McCoy's eye.
The beautiful scarves compelled McCoy and Pathway to Purpose volunteers Holly Giloth and Cathy Porter to visit the prison and meet the women who made them.
"There's a big connection here," McCoy said to the women.
It's a bond of healing, forged through the red scarves.
For Pathway to Purpose volunteers, healing comes through delivering the scarves and sharing their personal stories of survival.
"This heart transplant has given me a new opportunity. I have a chance to write my own act III," Giloth told the inmates.
It's a healing opportunity for the inmates, too, who are participating in the prison's Restorative Justice program.
"They're both giving back in different ways. It's amazing. I love it," Restorative Justice Coordinator Shelley Staton said.
Along with crocheting scarves, inmates complete other projects, such as making quilts for veterans and baby blankets for families in need.
"It isn't just about helping other people. It helps us. It helps us grow. It helps us have a sense of accomplishment," Stacey Jones, an inmate, said.
"I want them to know somebody cares. Even if I don't know them, I care," Faith Duncan, another inmate, said with tears in her eyes.
Every stitch carries a sentiment, and the volunteers who deliver the scarves make sure that story is told.
"When we round with your scarves, we will tell them where they came from. We will tell them how they were made, that they were made with love," McCoy told the inmates. "They were made with passion, with a caring heart and prayers."
The meeting proved that when it comes to matters of the heart, most people are not so different after all.
The Women's Heart Center accepts scarf donations year-round. Learn more about the program here.
