Joseph’s Hammer starts chapel project at Burnet women’s prison
The nonprofit Joseph’s Hammer has completed site prep, underground utilities, and plumbing and is pouring the slab for its 8,250-square-foot chapel at the Ellen Halbert Unit women’s prison in Burnet. Photo courtesy of Joseph’s Hammer
Construction is underway for an 8,250-square-foot chapel at the Ellen Halbert Unit women’s prison in Burnet. The nonprofit Joseph’s Hammer has raised over $2 million to provide space for faith-based classes, worship services, and other chaplaincy programs for the 1,100 offenders who come through the unit each year.
“We still need $650,000 to complete everything to state standards,” Joseph’s Hammer Director Pam Stevenson told DailyTrib.com. “We will keep raising money ’til Jesus comes home. We are not going to quit, but we wanted to get started.”
The 27-year-old Ellen Halbert Unit is a six-month substance abuse treatment and in-prison therapeutic community for women. Most of the inmates are first-time offenders and mothers who return to their communities.
“The chaplaincy programs use about 200 volunteers from our community,” Stevenson said. “We go in and teach Bible studies and different programs, some faith-based, to help them reconcile with family members and to stay on track when they are released. We help give them the tools they need to succeed.”
Currently, the few classrooms available only hold 26 students. Classes have long waiting lists that will be eliminated with more and bigger rooms.
Both the contractor and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice have agreed to let construction begin while Joseph’s Hammer continues to raise money.
Two upcoming fundraisers should help close the gap:
- the Testament of Freedom concert featuring the Heart of Texas Orchestra and Chorale at 4 p.m. May 19 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 105 RR 1431 in Marble Falls;
- and the Raise the Roof dinner, dancing, auction, and music featuring Jake Hooker and The Outsiders at 6 p.m. June 22 in the Hill Country Community Foundation Reed Building, 402 E. Jackson St. in Burnet.
The Testament of Freedom concert was put together by a member of Hill Country Fellowship Church in Burnet; Raise the Roof was organized by The Church at Horseshoe Bay’s music program.
“We haven’t done a lot of fundraiser events in the past, and we didn’t ask for any of this, but the community has really rallied around us and God is providing,” Stevenson said. “We are trusting God to keep this going and finish this.”
Costs for the chapel project have increased over the past few years, especially for things like razor wire, which has tripled in price.
“This is not just a simple commercial build,” Stevenson said. “Everything has to be engineered to secure state prison specifications.”
Once the building is complete, it will be turned over to the TDCJ to maintain and operate with the understanding it is to be used for chaplaincy programs.
The project has been six years in the making and was slowed down by the 2020 pandemic and a required two-year waiting period for state approval.
“We are moving forward in faith,” Stevenson said. “We are really excited to see construction underway, and we really believe it will be finished by the end of the year.”
Donations may be made online or by check made payable and mailed to Joseph’s Hammer, P.O. Box 7960, Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657.