12/6/2000 - Angel Tree would make a true gift

MIKE McMANUS
Religion Writer
Ethics and Religion

   The "perfect Christmas gift must meet
three tough criteria: First, it ought bring joy to the
least of these," both kids and adults. Second, it
should be a door-opener to a longer-term
relationship between a giver and the needy person.
Third, it should draw all involved closer to Jesus,
whose birthday is celebrated.
   My first suggestion is to create an "Angel Tree" at
your church, decorated with the names of children
of prison inmates in whose name the gifts are given.
This is a ministry of Prison Fellowship that is
expected to reach 465,000 children in 1997 nearly
half of all children of the 1.3 million felons serving
time in state penitentiaries plus 300,000 more in
local jails. While 15,000 churches have Angel
Trees, more than 250,000 do not.
   This is the 15th year of Angel Tree, which began
in 1982 when PF volunteer, Mary Kay Beard, an
ex-prisoner, erected Christmas trees in shopping
malls and collected presents given to 556 Alabama
children. To date, 2.5 million kids have received 4
million Angel Tree gifts.
   "Children of prisoners are often the saddest
casualties of crime in our society," says Prison
Fellowship Chairman Chuck Colson. "Angel Tree is
about loving one child at a time."
   In 1995, Jodi Armstrong and her son Andrew
were living out of their car in Anaheim, Calif.,
because the boy's dad, Bob, was in prison for drug
trafficking. The couple's two younger children were
in foster care. Andrew and his mother began visiting
Anaheim First Christian Church after learning of
Angel Tree. That Christmas, Bob sent Angel Tree
gifts to his two younger children. After Bob's
release from prison last year, he and his wife
became Christians and won their two children back
from foster care. Bob, Jodi and Andrew now
volunteer with Angel Tree.
   Children of prisoners are six times more likely
than their peers to become incarcerated themselves
and 84 percent of boys who are juvenile offenders
have criminal parents or siblings. PF seeks to break
that cycle of crime by bringing hope and
reconciliation to those separated by jail.
   When Bruce Thomason served six years for
smuggling marijuana, he saw the impact of Angel
Tree on toughened inmates. "I've seen them come
from talking on the phone, crying `My kids got
exactly what they wanted and they think the gifts
were from me!' "
   "I have seen them become more open to the
Gospel. They want to know, `Why would people do
this?' It is a perfect spot to witness to them.
Suddenly, God is real. Your faith grows when you
see God in action."
   Bruce is now the volunteer coordinator of Angel
Tree at Riverdale Baptist Church in Prince George's
County, Md., near Washington D.C. This year,
Riverdale is serving 158 children of inmates, a
number far larger than the church could handle on
its own. So it partners with such suburban churches
as Redland Baptist Church in Derwood, Md., an
affluent suburb.
   Its coordinator is Kim Donohue, a young mother
who began organizing in September. Volunteers call
the guardians of 50 children on Riverdale's list, and
ask what they want for Christmas as well as 85
other children of inmates from Montgomery
County. Her Sunday school class, for example,
adopted a family of four children, saying, "We will
try to minister to that family throughout the year see
if they need a Christmas dinner, clothes in the
spring."
   Similarly, Jean Kayden of Our Savior's Way
Church in Ashburn, Va., called the parents of 31
children who are being served by First Baptist
Church of Highland Park, near the District. The
mother of a 13-year-old, put her child on the phone,
who asked for Jumanji, a board game, and shyly
asked Santa's elf, "Do you people up there watch
TV?"
   First Baptist's Angel Tree is overseen by Carl
Felton, who works with such groups as ushers,
missionaries and nurses who buy gifts for 100 kids,
while suburban churches serve another 100. "We
want to see the families join the church." he says.
Later he helps released inmates find jobs.
   There are still thousands of children who need
angels to watch over them. For example,
Bakersfield and Taft, Calif., need volunteers, says
PF coordinator Austin Morgan. You can help by
creating an Angel Tree or by sending a check. Call
800-398-HOPE.

 

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