LOVING THE UNLOVED

WFWP Chicago - A Cook County Christmas

Bishop Tavis Grant, Patricia Fliginger, and Queen Mother Rev. Helen Sinclair at the Operation PUSH Headquarters in Chicago with Donated items for the women in prison

This past Christmas, the WFWP Chicago Chapter joined with the local organization Operation PUSH to help meet the basic needs of women in the Cook County Correctional Center. Fannie Smith, a WFWP member and former office administrator for Operation PUSH, teamed up with fellow WFWP member Patricia Fliginger to respond to a request for help by Queen Mother Rev. Sinclair, a woman who, though in her 90s, serves as a chaplain in the prisons.

Using the help of Chicago Unification Church members, the women were able to donate nearly 100 pairs of women's underwear and many toiletry items, which they delivered on Christmas Day.

Said Mrs. Fliginger of the project, "Because of this simple demonstration of love and kindness, walls blocking people from loving and caring for each other are being removed. Everyone is hurting and crying inside in one way or another. Through interacting with each other, we can begin to heal the wounds of the past and learn how to live in this world together with more compassion. We especially want to love the unloved with God's love and care for the neglected women who populate the prisons."