03/27/2024
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A concert to benefit the Matthew 25 Center of Tabor City will be held Sunday, May 6, 2018 at 4 p.m. at the Clarkton Presbyterian Church in Clarkton.  The concert, will feature musicians from Bladen and Columbus counties. Featured Bladen musicians are Anna Ogden Clark, Tim Olsen, and Randy Page. All contributions will benefit the Matthew 25 Center of Tabor City.

The Matthew 25 Center is a nonprofit organization created to provide housing to families of incarcerated men and women when they come to visit their loved ones.  The name, Matthew 25, is based on the scriptural reference in Matthew 25:40, “……verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.”

Eight years ago, the state opened the doors to a prison in Tabor City, NC.  The prison was built to house up to 1700 inmates.  Members of the community felt strongly about creating a safe space to bring hope and light to families of these prisoners.  They realized that families of inmates are easily forgotten, and they are the ones struggling financially and emotionally during an already difficult time.

After visiting the Matthew 25 center in Burgaw, the team realized that their vision to help families of the Tabor City inmates could become a reality.  Two acres of land near the Tabor City Correctional Facility was donated and today, a newly constructed housing facility sits on that property ready to serve families of the inmates.

Keeping family members connected brings hope and restoration individually and communally.  According to the Department of Justice, research shows that inmates who remain in contact with their families are approximately 50 percent less likely to return to prison.  The Matthew 25 Center will support counseling and educational programs dealing with the special needs of the inmate’s families. Stays are brief, making the facility accessible to new visitors. So it is with great optimism that the support his housing facility will provide can change the future of the inmate, their family members, and their community.

The Matthew 25 Center needs the support of many individuals, churches, and organizations in order to sustain the facility.  Your gift support is an important step in putting Christ’s words into action.

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