A statewide charity received a financial donation Wednesday from a group that some people may not have expected.
Special Olympics of Iowa was given a $650 check from the GROWTH Group at Fort Dodge Correctional Facility.
Inmate Travis Porter said the group has been around since 2006.
Article Photos
"It was founded on the principles of teaching men skills to improve their behavior and raising money for charity," Porter said.
The group, which has more than 100 members, stands for Gains, Responsibility, Opportunity, Willingness, Trust and Health.
"We come together and come up with ideas for different charities we can raise money for," he said. "This is the first time we've raised money for Special Olympics, but we've helped out others like the Lord's Cupboard before."
Lindsay Eastin, a Special Olympics representative who received the check, said the money will be very helpful.
"I'm very excited about it," Eastin said. "We're going to use the money to help our athletes in the community."
"Every little bit helps," she added.
According to Dion Miller, another GROWTH member, raising money isn't the only way the group helps out others.
"We also make quilts for the battered women's shelter and the men's shelter here in town," Miller said, referring to Domestic/Sexual Assault Outreach Center and Beacon of Hope, respectively.
John Harris, another group member, said not only does the group offer assistance to non-profit agencies, but it also helps other inmates.
"We also donate money to the men in here so they can do something productive with their time," Harris said. "We're having a contest to see who can lose the biggest percentage of their body weight. That helps the men in here become more healthy."
Porter said next year GROWTH hopes to be able to donate more money because they recently increased their efforts.
"We used to be able to raise money about three times a year, but next year we'll be able to get money from our daily ice cream sales," he said. "Next year hopefully the check will be bigger."
He added he believes GROWTH, and other inmate programs, can benefit anyone who gets involved with them.
"We all feel anybody should strive to become better," Porter said. "It gives us a chance to right our wrongs that we've done."