Thanks to Scott Herrold from SOS Radio in Las Vegas for sharing this story with us. One hundred and ten children were reunited with their incarcerated parents in Vegas at 50 Christmases. SOS Radio partnered with Hope for Prisoners to give children a family Christmas experience.
Fifty individual living room settings were set up at the Crossing Church, and inmates were bused in from prison. Each setting had a sofa, coffee table, and love seat set up around a fresh cut, decorated Christmas tree for each individual family.
The children were greeted by their parents, and for one night these children were able to spend quality time with their family, celebrating Christmas. Many of the inmates had not seen their children in person for three years.
Herrold says the idea was hatched five years ago. “We didn’t want to just set up tables in the chow hall of the prison, we wanted to set up individual living rooms for each family to celebrate, just like at home. We started with 15 families five years ago and have grown this event to serve 50 families.”
Listeners of SOS Radio and members of the Crossing church poured out support by the arm loads, donating hundreds of bikes, toys, and thousands of dollars in gift cards for children with incarcerated parents. The SOS community donated the gifts, but the parents were able to pick out specific gifts for their children before they arrived at the party. (The parents got all the credit for the gifts & bikes!)
Here’s video from 50 Christmases.
