11/10/2005 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

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Their mom or dad, or maybe both, are in prison. But Santa Claus isn't.

Since 1982, a program called Angel Tree has delivered hundreds of thousands of Christmas gifts to children of inmates, with the help of churches that buy these presents on behalf of the incarcerated parents. It also has mentoring and camping programs (details at pfm.org).

Last Friday, Angel Tree's founder, Mary Kay Beard, was at Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon for a benefit dinner, sharing her own transformation from bank robber to inmate to staff member for Prison Fellowship, a Christian ministry.

Tom Heyer, who leads Shadow Mountain's prison ministry, quotes statistics estimating that two-thirds of the children will follow in the footsteps of their inmate parents. "We want to do something to make a difference," he says.

<SURVEY SAYS>

Federal and state prisoners had an average of approximately two children each who were under the age of 18, according to a 1999 survey by the U.S. Department of Justice.

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