Meet Carmen, Featured Volunteer for July 2025

What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering?

I actually started volunteering when my kids were teens, then life happened of course. Now I've started again and they are both in their 30's. Time flies whether you are having fun or not.

Does it tie in to the rest of your life in any meaningful way?

I feel called to do more. Obviously, the times always speak for themselves, but volunteering ties in with my faith. I like to say that my Catholicism flares up now and again, but it's more of a personal conviction and searching for Christ as I follow no organized religion. Especially now, when religion has been co-opted by hatred.

Is there anything you especially like about volunteering with us?

It's both concrete and abstract. You have a letter you read, and you send a package of books. But you have no idea of what the end result will be. Will the person like the books? The letters themselves I find fascinating.

 What are your favorite parts of the process?

I think the volunteers all would agree that finding the perfect book, exact match, and perfect weight are SO SATISFYING! I like wrapping presents so wrapping packages is something I enjoy.

Everybody starts off by responding to letters, even if they eventually move on to wrapping or other tasks. Some of the letters can be memorable. Are there any requests that surprised you, or that you remember standing out in any way?

My favorite letter is very brief, with a lot of misspellings. The person just asked for a dictionary, so he could "know what the words say". Words are precious and quite profound in many ways. We often take our literacy for granted. I feel this person's life may have been quite different had he had help with his education. It's very likely he was from an impoverished area, with underfunded schools. As a person of color this resonates with me. People have made assumptions about me all of my life, and have been surprised. I've been blessed with being able to read and write.

In the time that you’ve been here, do you think that your views on the prison system, or what it’s like to be incarcerated, have changed? Please feel free to talk about those views if you would like.

I have always taken a somber view of the prison system, and felt prison reform is greatly needed. I have taken care of many prisoners as an RN, and in speaking with them gained some insight. People are people so to speak. In 20 years only one prisoner had been threatening, but he was simply afraid, because he was dying. I can understand that. I've been treated worse by family members of patients. Sending people books is a simple way to help reform the prison system.

Do you have any book recommendations for us?

I think we need more poetry in our lives. Mary Oliver is a good place to start. I'm reading the Bible and it's fascinating, sad, and infuriating how little Christian Nationalism understands this book. It's obvious they don't read it at all. It would be laughable if it wasn't so incredibly destructive. I like the classics so I would recommend Les Miserables, or Crime and Punishment.

Is there anything you especially like to read in your spare time?

I've sort of hit the wall with Remembrance of Things Past, but I am determined to finish it.

Are there any other parting words that you’d like to share with whoever’s reading this?

Just a big thank you and appreciation to Andy and Kris, and all the folks who have kept BTB going for all of these years. I'm perpetually grateful!