When Mom or Dad is in prison, Christmas doesn’t always mean gifts and celebration for the kids in the family. For many years, Chardon United Methodist Church has reached out to children of prisoners, who face the holidays without the presence of a parent.
Since it began in 1982, Angel Tree Christmas has touched a cumulative 6 million children’s lives through the participation of thousands of churches, according to Prison Fellowship Ministries. It is one of three elements in the organization’s Angel Tree program, which also includes camping and mentoring elements.
Prison Fellowship Ministries was founded in 1976 by Chuck Colson. Colson, a former aide to President Richard Nixon, pled guilty to Watergate-related charges and entered Alabama's Maxwell Prison in 1974, where he served seven months of a one-to-three-year sentence for obstruction of justice.
More information on Prison Fellowship Ministries and its Angel Tree program is available at the organization’s Web site http://www.pfm.org.
Coats for Angel Tree
We received some late "angel tags" for our Angel Tree children’s ministry. We have several still on the tree, so please consider taking an angel and purchasing a gift for the child on the angel tag. This program supports children who have a parent that is incarcerated. We will be taking new coats, hats, gloves, mittens and scarves to the Angel Tree Christmas party in Cleveland on December 19. This is a wonderful opportunity for CUMC to show Christ’s love for these children.
If you are able to donate one of these items for the party please leave it in the church office marked ‘Angel Tree’. We need all sizes but especially boys coats in larger sizes. If you have any questions please call Pam White at 285-4581. Thank you for your generosity!
This year we gave a record number of coats, hats, and scarfs to help the children of incarcerated parent(s). We took 117 new coats, and over 250 hats, gloves and mittens to the party. Along with others who donated we were able to help 500 children. Praise God for your generosity (many scarves were hand-made).
These children need to know that they have not been forgotten by their parent, and their parents need to know that God, through Jesus Christ, has not forgotten them either. We thank those who picked a child or family from the Angel Tree and supplied that family with gifts and/or gift cards. We also thank those who delivered these gifts to their homes.
I want to thank all of you who graciously donated items for the Angel Tree party on December 20th. I would also like to thank all those who helped with the set-up and distribution of all the clothing. We also served lunch to all 500 children in a record time of 15 minutes. Thank you for helping show God’s love to these children.
In Christ’s Love, Pam White
It is that time of year when we are given the opportunity to help the children of incarcerated parent(s).
There are 1.5 million children of prisoners.
7.3 million children have a parent under some form of correctional supervision.
22% of children with a parent in prison are under 5 years old.
The majority of children are under 10; the average age is 8.
One in five children is present at their mother’s arrest.
These children need to know that they have not been forgotten by their parent, and their parents need to know that God, through Jesus Christ, has not forgotten them either.
Our church has the opportunity to support the Angel Tree ministry this summer, just as we do at Christmas. Angel Tree provides weekly summer camp opportunities for children of prisoners. In the past, we have provided backpacks and sleeping bags for some of these children. This year Angel Tree is just looking for scholarships for these children. If this is something you, your committee, or small group would be interested in providing, please contact Betsy Ledenican at 285-4995 or
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. She will provide you with further information.
Large Collection for 2008!
Thanks to all of you have donated a coat, hat, scarf or gloves to Angel Tree. I have collected 80 coats, 80 hats, 110 pairs of gloves and mittens and 90 hand made scarves! We are on our way to providing 200+ children a new coat, hat, gloves and scarf at the Angel Tree party in December. I am collecting these items for the party and if you have any questions, please call me at the church office or email me at
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.
Thank you again for your generosity toward this project! Pam White
Ministries 
