JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The holiday period can serve as a painful reminder for countless children whose parents are incarcerated.

Prison Fellowship, the largest prison ministry in the United States, is striving to shift this narrative by delivering more than just gifts; the organization is working to restore hope during this festive time.

The Angel Tree Christmas program by Prison Fellowship connects children with their incarcerated parents through gifts and heartfelt notes. These simple gestures can significantly impact the lives of these children.

Lazaro Lopez, who serves as the Director of Correctional Programs for Florida and Alabama, is deeply involved with Prison Fellowship’s mission.

“We need to go into these prisons to bring encouragement, to bring programs to reduce recidivism,” said Lazaro Lopez. 

Prison fellowship, the nation’s largest prison ministry, is working to transform lives behind bars, through in-prison programming, advocacy and family support.

One of its programs is the Angel Tree Christmas program. Which connects local churches and volunteers with children of incarcerated parents and helps deliver gifts, handwritten notes and something far more powerful than toys; hope.

Ensuring that children with incarcerated parents don’t feel forgotten.

It’s a feeling, Lopez knows all too well.

Years ago, he was an inmate serving 10 years in a Florida prison. When he got locked up, his daughter, Jessica was only 9-years-old.

“I got to know about prison fellowship, uh, angel tree back in like, in like 2001 and I was able to actually give a gift and the gift doesn’t just come from me, but it comes with a personal note from me that I would write and she would receive it.”

Angel tree gifts reminded Jessica that her dad still cared, even within the prison walls.

“As we were in our visits she would tell me the gift that she got and it was wonderful conversation,” he said, “but something happens when they receive a tangible gift when they’re a child.”

The connection with his daughter never faded. It only strengthened.

“You know, maybe I’ve missed some recitals, maybe I missed the graduations, but one thing I would not miss is being able to walk her down that aisle,” said Lopez.

“Not only did I walk her down the aisle to get married, but as an ordained pastor, I walked around the pulpit and was able to officiate her marriage. So this is actually all started with Angel Tree.”

Today, Angel Tree continues to strengthen relationships, just like it did with Lazaro and his daughter.

“We can reduce so much reoffending, and it’ll be a better reentry for these men and women that are coming back to society,” said Lopez. 

Because sometimes the smallest gift can bring families back together and serve as a reminder that they are still seen, still loved, and still connected. 

According to Prison Fellowship there are more than 5,000 kids in Jacksonville with parents who are incarcerated and many are still unassigned, meaning they don’t have a sponsor.

For more information on how you can donate or sponsor a child, you can click here.