Program at prison at Licking donates quilts, paintings for auction

The 37th Judicial CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) in West Plains has received a donation of several quilts and coordinating paintings from the South Central Correctional Center’s Restorative Justice Program in Licking.

They will be sold to the highest bidder via an online auction through Sept. 7. All available items will be on display on the second floor of the Ozarks Small Business Incubator, 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains. The public can view the pieces between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

An open reception with coffee and cookies will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, at OzSBI. The public is invited to attend the reception, view the available items and learn more about 37th Judicial CASA.

All of the quilts and paintings were created by inmates in the SCCC’s Restorative Justice Program, a nonprofit program that aims to offer offenders the opportunity to serve fellow citizens and strengthen social bonds that serve as the foundation of communities, said officials. The program takes many forms, including creating gardens and donating the produce, refurbishing used bicycles to donate, producing educational materials for schoolchildren, and crafting and donating items such as quilts, paintings and teddy bears. In a recent example, a group of inmates in the Licking facility committed to creating 80 personalized quilts — one for every child in the Texas County foster system.

“The quilts and paintings donated to the 37th Judicial CASA feature Missouri sports teams and are perfect for the sports fan in your life,” said CASA Executive Director Connie Pendergrass. They are available for bidding through an online auction through 7 p.m. Sept. 7  Anyone interested in bidding can access the online auction by visiting the Facebook page, @37thJudicialCASA, or website, www.37thcasa.net .

For more information about the exhibit, contact Pendergrass at casa.office@37thcasa.net.

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