Prison Ministry/Restorative Justice

Catholic Charities Board Member Spotlight: Van Sanders

Van Sanders, a Catholic Charities of North Louisiana board member, has a long history of servant leadership. After growing up in New York City, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. For nearly 30 years, Van served his country in varied roles, serving in the Vietnam war before rising to Senior Enlisted Advisor while stationed in Spain.

After his military retirement, Van and his wife Dianne – an Air Force veteran in her own right – moved stateside to Albuquerque. Van taught for 11 years before beginning work in the prison ministry of his church in 2006. In 2013, Van and Dianne moved to Louisiana to be closer to her family. Once in Shreveport, Van approached Deacon Charles Thomas at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament about prison ministry. Soon after, Van was in a vehicle with other parish leaders headed to David Wade Correctional Facility. He is now a permanent volunteer with the Diocesan Prison Ministry office run by Deacon Burt Ainsworth.

Since beginning this work locally, Van has visited inmates in Angola, David Wade, and a multitude of the parish and state-run prisons across Louisiana. The majority of inmates he and others see are non-Catholic or Catholics who do not understand their faith. “Many have never been to a Catechism class or know what their faith is about. They want to be good Catholics, but for whatever reason, many end up becoming Protestant or getting re-baptized when they don’t need to.”

For the past year, Van has focused his efforts with Catholic Charities of North Louisiana on the strategic plan for the organization. This four-year plan evaluates the nonprofit’s viability and future growth efforts through comprehensive SWOT analysis. The planning committee was able to identify six key areas of opportunity for future funding, programming, collaboration, and visibility. The board of directors recently approved the plan and will identify the next steps.

Van says one of the most rewarding things about his involvement with CCNLA centers around how the organization’s help, far outreaches its programs and services. “Catholic Charities doesn’t realize it, but they’re helping the prison population in an indirect way. When they help families through Gabriel’s Closet or with bills, they’re sometimes helping families of these inmates. They’re providing peace of mind to these men and women inside. They also work with other faith-based organizations to help people in the community. They reach out and do things that people don’t even know they’re doing. The people at CCNLA are helping people that need help.”