12/21/2002 - When Mom or Dad is in prison
What kind of Christmas will a child have if a parent is behind bars? A better one, when Angel Tree is involved.
By GAIL HOLLENBECK
© St. Petersburg Times
published December 21, 2002
INVERNESS -- More than 125 children in Citrus County will open presents from their incarcerated parents this Christmas, thanks to the ministry of Angel Tree.
"It’s not the kids’ fault that their parent is in prison," said volunteer Harvey Helm. "They’re the victims of crime that most people don’t realize."
Not only must these children do without a parent, but according to statistics distributed by Angel Tree, a child with an incarcerated parent is five times more likely to be jailed than a child who grows up with a parent not in prison.
Two-million children in the United States have one or both parents in prison.
"Christmas is an especially difficult time for children whose parents are in prison," said Pam Garrison, Central Florida field director for Prison Fellowship Ministries. "There are five prison complexes within about an hour’s drive of Inverness, a mission field right in our back yard."
Five area churches and the Salvation Army are participating in Angel Tree this Christmas: First Baptist of Inverness, Seven Rivers Presbyterian Church, Springs Presbyterian Church, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church and St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church.
Angel Tree debuted in 1982 in Birmingham, Ala., when a former prisoner named Mary Kay Beard decided to put Christmas trees in shopping malls to ask shoppers to buy presents for prisoners’ children.
Beard had spent six Christmases in prison watching women gather toiletries they received from charity groups to wrap and give to their kids as gifts. Then she saw the joy on the children’s faces when they received the presents on visiting day at the prison.
She was released from prison in 1976.
Later, as the Alabama director for Prison Fellowship, Beard began the Angel Tree project. Since then, the program has reached about 4.5-million children across the country.
Each child receives one toy or recreational item and one clothing item worth $15 to $20 apiece. During the summer, inmates sign their children up to receive Christmas gifts given by volunteers on their behalf. Angel Tree volunteers then contact caregivers of the children to solicit their gift wishes. Gift wishes are written on paper angels and hung on Christmas trees placed in participating churches. Caring people choose an angel, then purchase and wrap the requested items and return them to the church. The gifts are delivered to the children just before Christmas. Some churches have a party for the children.
This year Florida was a test state for a new idea. Prisoners received a catalog from Prison Fellowship and were able to choose the gift for their children. When an angel was chosen from the tree, a catalog went with it so the giver was able to see what the prisoner had chosen. A gift package could be ordered from Prison Fellowship or the picture could be used to shop for something comparable.
"We thought that was kind of neat," said Patty Blowers, Angel Tree coordinator for Seven Rivers. "That way the prisoner was a lot more involved.
"This year instead of taping the angel to the gift, we had people get a Christmas card. Most of the information sheets from Prison Fellowship had a message on the bottom written by the parent, so we had them write that in the card. That makes it a little more personal."
Seven Rivers congregants bought so many gifts that there were too many to fit under the tree at the church. Helm, who is coordinating the delivery of the gifts this weekend, had the gifts scattered around his living room this week.
"There are about 40 to 50 gifts. My wife, Joan, and I have organized them and checked them off the lists and divided them into the areas where they will be delivered. This morning during my prayer time I was feeling kind of overwhelmed and asked the Lord to help me with these packages."
After Christmas, Angel Tree supports year-round initiatives for children of prisoners, including mentoring and a summer camp program. Helm recently returned from a seminar in Naples, where he learned more about those programs.
"We had a weekend that was unbelievable," Helm said. "Chuck Colson (the founder of Prison Fellowship) and Jack Kemp were there. You might be sitting next to some just-released prisoner who wants to help with the program or a senator or a CEO of a company.
"It seems to be a wonderful program of getting people to really show the love of Jesus. The theme was, ’Isn’t it just like God to show us Jesus through the faces of his children?’ "
Helm hopes to continue working with the program throughout the year.
Garrison said that is just what she is hoping will happen.
"That’s really what we’re pushing right now, to get churches to see this as an opportunity for year-round outreach in their community," Garrison said.
"When they participate in Angel Tree, that’s an opportunity to start a relationship with that family, and they’ll be able to see the needs . . . from helping them find a job or get their car fixed to calling them once a month, sending birthday cards, doing whatever it takes.
"We are always seeking additional churches to be involved in prison and prison-related ministry. The needs are many, and I would be very pleased indeed to hear from any churches that would like additional information about how to be involved."
How to help
Churches that would like information on how to participate in Angel Tree can call Pam Garrison at (813) 909-4087 or toll-free at 1-888-718-8111.
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