An inmate’s eagerness to serve the community, even though he is still in prison, led him to collaborate with a Connecticut church pastor to deliver 425 bars of soap, as well as many winter coats, to local shelters and organizations—including CHD’s Hospitality Center, our service center for the unhoused in Waterbury, CT.

In 2006, Alfredo Gonzalez (pictured) was sentenced to 38 years, a sentence of which he has served 18 years. “While on this journey, I have continually rehabilitated myself through many days and many nights of self-reflection, as well as some serious soul searching, in order to recognize and correct the many errors of my past ways,” he wrote. “In the process, my spirit was stirred by an overwhelming desire to be of service although still incarcerated. This desire led to a sudden realization: the importance of civic duty in my community.”

Gonzalez was able to collaborate with Rev. Elizabeth Rosa, Pastor at House of Forgiveness Christian Church in Waterbury, his hometown. His request to place a donation box in the church led to the soap and coat contributions.

‘We are all humbled by Alfredo’s generosity and creativity given his limited access to resources,” said Heather Foster, program director of CHD’s Adult Mental Health-Connecticut. “Alfredo is a wonderful example of what we do as people helping people. Every day, our staff make the most of what they have at the Hospitality Center, which is never lacking in caring community members to support our mission.”

Gonzalez, an inmate at the Brooklyn Correctional Institution in Brooklyn CT, chose to organize a soap drive because, due to his limited income, soap was the only item he could afford at the moment. “Not just that, but I genuinely believe that most people have an innate disposition to help one another if possible, so a bar of soap seemed like an inexpensive way for anyone to participate in this project,” he wrote.

In fact, the first soap donation was collected at Gonzalez’s Department of Correction facility, with inmates donating from their own commissary accounts.

The soap drive soon led to coat drive, which was another truly helpful initiative, according to Foster. “This was a much-needed donation effort, as temperatures drop and participants remain living outside or in places no meant for human habitation,” she said. “These items can provide life-sustaining warmth and are greatly appreciated by those we serve.”

Foster and Gonzalez also have exciting news to share: because he was granted commutation by the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles on February 25, 2023, he will be eligible for parole in 2025. “We look forward to welcoming Alfredo home and have confidence that the community he chooses to reside in will benefit from his presence,” she said