Christmas is often described as the most wonderful time of the year—a season of warmth, connection, and celebration. But for the more than 11 million incarcerated individuals worldwide, the holiday can feel markedly different. With limited contact from loved ones and few opportunities for support, December 25 often slowly passes as a day of deep isolation and even regret.
While families across the country gather to celebrate and reflect on the season’s meaning, many in jails and prisons spend the holiday alone, navigating an environment that can intensify feelings of loneliness and disconnection. Good News Global, a global ministry serving the incarcerated population, is working to change that narrative by offering hope, encouragement, and a meaningful reminder that people behind bars have not been forgotten during a time when it is needed most.
Kevin Howells, lead advancement officer for the Richmond, Virginia-based Global News Global ministry, is preparing a significant expansion of its Hope Pack & Presence initiative in 2025. Good News Global plans to deliver nearly 75,000 Hope Packs to incarcerated individuals, correctional staff, and, where permitted, families of inmates around the world. The annual effort seeks to bring light to the darkness, despair, and loneliness experienced by many behind bars by sharing the love and message of Jesus during Christmas and throughout the year.
Howells, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1990 from Cedarville University, introduced the Hope Pack outreach to Good News Global, and the impact since its inception in 2021 has brought hope and encouragement to thousands of inmates worldwide. The program has grown rapidly thanks to the generosity of churches and donors, as well as the work of former inmate and now GNG chaplain Richard Van Arsdale. VanArsdale contacted Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago to learn more about its hope pack initiative it started years earlier. Willow Creek partnered with Good News Global, opening the door to a collaboration that continues to expand.
“Hope Packs represents our greatest direct gospel outreach to incarcerated people and those impacted by incarceration,” said Howells. “We can put the Gospel message in the hands of receptive inmates this Christmas.”
In 2025, Hope Packs and personal visits from Good News Global chaplains are expected to reach 170 correctional facilities in 20 U.S. states and 20 countries, including seven correctional facilities in Florida. Nearly 300 chaplains serve year-round in these facilities, building trusted relationships that support spiritual growth and long-term discipleship.
Each Hope Pack is assembled with care to convey encouragement and compassion. While contents vary by region, every pack includes a Christmas bag, a greeting card with a personalized message, a 2026 calendar, and a clear presentation of the Gospel. In the United States, most packs include Armor, a 200-page book featuring devotionals, poems, artwork, and activities created for individuals behind bars. International packs may include Bibles, gospel tracts, or devotionals.
Food items—such as cookies or chips in the U.S. and staples like rice, flour or sugar abroad—offer practical comfort. Many packs also include socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other hygiene items.
For Good News Global chaplains, Hope Packs are more than a seasonal gift. They create opportunities for meaningful conversations about healing, restoration and faith.
“We’re not just handing out a bag—we’re delivering hope,” said Howells.
Many inmates express deep appreciation for the initiative’s impact. “The book has given me hope and peace to my heart,” wrote an inmate from Visalia, Calif., referencing the Armor resource. “I’ve learned from the activities and stories and feel the love of God from everyone that has helped with this book.”
More information is available on Good News Global’s website.
For more Good News, read the GOOD NEWS December Issue at: https://digital.goodnewsfl.org/2025/december/#1