Volunteers Honored at Second Annual Appreciation Dinner
Published on April 27, 2026
More than 150 volunteers enter the ACJ at various times to provide a myriad of services to those incarcerated.
On the evening of April 21, jail leadership hosted its second annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner to honor all of those who give of themselves to provide services to those who are housed inside the facility.
Some of those volunteers have been visiting every week for five to 10 years. Others have been offering their services for decades, Warden Trevor Wingard said while addressing the volunteers who attended.
“We need you to understand how appreciative we are of that,” said Wingard.
While the Warden’s words were moving, the voices of three individuals who are incarcerated at the ACJ seemed to have even more of an impact.
“I think with all of you volunteers, you took something that I was seriously terrified about my life going forward and made it into such a positive experience,” said one of the incarcerated women who works in the jail’s TAILS program. “I think when I leave ACJ I’m not going to leave sad. I am going to leave with much more joy and a positive attitude.”
It was a joy for Deputy Warden Connie Clark, who with a team of ACJ staff organized the event, to introduce this year’s Volunteer of the Year Award recipient – Semper Fi Mission.
Co-founded by Kenneth Aquiline and Chuck Ondo, volunteers of the nonprofit have been working to help change lives by offering community outreach, mentorship, prison ministry and weekly visits to the Allegheny County Jail. The mission’s work is aimed toward helping veterans who are homeless or incarcerated and struggling with addiction and mental health issues.
“They provide inspiration to the incarcerated population,” said Clark.
During the acceptance speech, Aquiline thanked the ACJ for its support.
ACJ staff make volunteering at the jail a “one-of-a-kind experience,” Aquiline said.
“We wanna thank the ACJ for that,” Aquiline said. “And I want to tell you that among the long list of people we work with that you guys at the Allegheny County Jail are the top of the list.”
And while Semper Fi Mission is at the top of this year’s list of volunteers, those working at the jail realize the positive difference the efforts of all 150-plus volunteers make for those housed in the facility.
“We genuinely appreciate the time they spend at the facility, and their only goal is to make a positive impact in their community,” said Casey Walsh, ACJ Correctional Support Programming Manager. “The banquet was just a small show of appreciation as we could never repay the amount they give to the incarcerated population.”
Media inquiries may be directed to Jesse Geleynse, Public Information Officer for the Allegheny County Jail
jesse.geleynse@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-350-1267 or 412-760-4760 (cell).