New Jersey Department of Corrections Chaplains' Meeting

In-Reach has been contacted about making a presentation to a meeting of the New Jersey Department of Corrections chaplains on March 2, 2017. The topic is an introduction to the Heathen religions and the needs of the burgeoning Heathen population in prisons.

In-Reach will present under the auspices of The Troth. Because time will be limited, the presentation will focus less on the history of Heathenry and more on the present circumstances: similariites and differences among Heathen denominations, challenges Heathen inmates face in prison, and challenges faced by chaplains and corrections officers in serving Heathen inmate populations.

This is a great opportunity for In-Reach and for Heathenry in general, and we are honored to be asked to participate in this important meeting.

As many of you know, I have been elected to the office of Steersman of The Troth. My job as Associate Steer was busy enough, and Steersman is going to require a lot more mental focus.

I am, for the time being, staying in the official role of Program Coordinator of In-Reach Heathen Prison Services, but the functionality of the program will be turned over to Rory Bowman​ and Mallory Brooks​. 

The exact duties going to each has not been fully decided, but Rory has extensive Chaplaincy experience and is currently working on writing the Standard Operating Procedures for In-Reach. 

Mallory is a very avid and dedicated team member who will definitely be taking on leadership in the Mail Handler area. As such, I will be receiving the mail via our corporate headquarters, opening it to see if there are book orders or checks, and then forwarding the mail in packs to Mallory for distribution to the rest of the team. 

I will also set Mallory up with a few In-Reach mailboxes with an @thetroth.org address, and, once I have access to the bank account, I will utilize some of In-Reach's budget to buy JPay virtual "stamps" to be used to communicate with inmates who use JPay.

This program represents the evolution of The Troth's function into "macro" areas that are too big for one kindred to handle. I thank Rory and Mallory for stepping up to help. I am confident that they can make the program even better. Their volunteerism will free me up to move onto the next Troth projects. :)

Hail Rory!

Hail Mallory!

- Robert L. Schreiwer

Bits of Heathenry Podcast

In-Reach Heathen Prison Services was featured today on the Bits of Heathenry Podcast. Along with the other topics that we addressed, we  discussed some of the varying viewpoints within Heathenry on the worthiness of Heathen prison work.

GoFundMe for Heathen Presence at Parliament of the World's Religions

This year, for the first time, there will be a Heathen presence at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Salt Lake City, UT (October 15-19). This is a significant opportunity for Heathen leaders to engage and to network with leaders of other religions. This event will increase the visibility of Heathenry in the public eye and set a precedent for inclusion in future endeavors.

The Parliament will feature the following Heathen presentations:

"Staving off Ragnarök: A Heathen Response to Climate Change" (Diana Paxson) on Saturday, October 17 at 10:00 AM

and

"Rebuilding the Altars: Reconstructing Indigenous Pagan Faiths for Today" (Diana Paxson, Robert L. Schreiwer, Erynn Laurie, Elisheva Nesher, Kirk Thomas, and Gwendolyn Reese) on Sunday, October 18 at 8:15 AM.

Additionally, there will be a Heathen information booth (#878) with pamphlets (including In-Reach flyers) and books for distribution and sale. An Urglaawe altar will be present in a shared Pagan Faiths space somewhere in rooms A-G in sections 150 or 151 (clarifying information will be provided as it becomes available).

All of this costs money, so a GoFundMe effort has been set up to help to defray the participants' costs. If you are unable to donate money, please help by passing along the link.

Thank you!

Donations at Philadelphia Pagan Pride Day

Philadelphia Pagan Pride Day is Saturday, September 5, at Clark Park, S. 43rd Street and Baltimore Avenue.

The drop-off spot is the altar in the center of the park's Gravel Circle. In the event of rain, please drop off the items at the Welcome Tent.

Most any book is appreciated, though some titles are needed more than others. We have had a recent request from a Wisconsin facility for books of a Heathen and Pagan nature.

Thanks to everyone for their support!

In-Reach on Internet Radio

In-Reach Heathen Prison Services will be the topic of The Tree of Life Hour on internet radio tomorrow (March 12) at 9:00 PM EDT.

I am grateful for this opportunity to talk about all sides of this challenging, yet necessary, program.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/witchschool

Adding to the Network...

We now are connected in Wisconsin and Maine, too!