Licking Prison Program Donates Quilts and Paintings for Auction

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

They will be sold to the highest bidder in 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 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

A public reception with coffee and cookies will be held at the OzSBI on Wednesday, August 21st from 2-4pm. The public is invited to attend the reception, view the items available and learn more about the 37th Judicial CASA.

All of the quilts and paintings were made by inmates as part of SCCC's Restorative Justice Program, a community service program that provides offenders with opportunities to help fellow citizens and strengthen social ties that form the foundation of communities, officials said. The program takes many forms, including planting gardens and donating the harvest, refurbishing used bicycles to donate, making educational materials for schoolchildren, and crafting and donating items such as quilts, paintings and teddy bears. In one recent example, a group of inmates at the Licking facility committed to making 80 personalized quilts — one for every child in the Texas County foster care 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 will be up for bid in an online auction until Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. Interested parties can participate in the online auction by visiting the Facebook page @37thJudicialCASA or the website www.37thcasa.net.

For more information about the exhibition, contact Pendergrass at [email protected].