William Penn Life, 2007 (42. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2007-12-01 / 12. szám
Charitable Ideas Angel Tree It starts with a gift...It leads to a life transformed The William Penn Association is a proud sponsor of Angel Tree. Paul Mabin (center), field director of Prison Fellowship’s Pennsylvania office, visited the WPA’s Home Office this November and accepted a $1,000 donation from the WPA for Angel Tree. Presenting the donation were National Vice President-Fraternal Endre Csornán (left) and National Director Ronald S. Balia. AN ESTIMATED 2.3 million children in the U.S. have a mom or dad in prison. The number is huge, but~as the people of Angel Tree see it-so is the opportunity. Angel Tree is one of several programs sponsored by the Prison Fellowship, a nonprofit, volunteerreliant Christian ministry for prisoners and their families. Since 1982, Angel Tree has reached out to the children of inmates and their families. It seeks to transform the lives of these families and to reconcile them to God and each other. Angel Tree's mission is based on a passage from the Gospel according to Matthew which reads: "Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." There are children in many communities who are among the most atrisk children in the nation. Angel Tree provides an opportunity to connect with those families and begin ministering to them at Christmas and then continue through a variety of yearround ministry opportunities. At Christmastime, volunteers from local churches purchase and deliver gifts to the children of inmates in the parent's name. Each gift delivery also presents an opportunity to share the love and hope of Christ with each family. Through Angel Tree, these children feel a parent's love, despite Charity Links For more information on how Angel Tree works and how you and your church can begin making positive changes in the lives of children and families in need, log onto the Angel Tree website at: O www.angeltree.org their absence. But, Angel Tree doesn't end with Christmas. For volunteers and their churches, that first Christmas connection can be the beginning of a rewarding ongoing relationship with these children and their families. The two major after-Christmas programs promoted by Angel Tree are camping and mentoring. Mentoring involves matching one caring adult volunteer with a specific child of a prisoner. The adult would have regular contact with the child throughout the year, providing a constant, reliable and stabilizing presence in the child's life. Angel Tree can help potential mentors with training materials to guide them in their task. Angel Tree also can help volunteers and their churches organize summer camps for these children in need. Last year, more than 7,500 children benefited from attending an Angel Tree summer camp. Angel Tree volunteers also extend the ministry by:- purchasing school supplies for the children;- organizing "Family Fun Days" at their church;- hosting a night out for caregivers, giving them a much-needed break and allowing volunteers an opportunity to stay in touch with the children;- forming letter-writing clubs, helping the children stay in touch with their incarcerated parent;- arranging prison visits for the children; and- hosting "movie nights" and other similar events for the children. Angel Tree and Prison Fellowship can provide all the training, tools and resources volunteers and their churches need to help these children and their families, [wpl] William Penn Life, December 2007 7
