PRISON FELLOWSHIP BLOG: Angel Tree

Peyton struggled to speak to her dad after went to prison. But the night she returned from camp, she surprised him with a phone call he will never forget.

Seventy percent of prisoners’ children have caregivers who are over the age of 50. Many of these caregivers are grandparents. This Grandparents Day, we want to honor those family members who care for youth while their moms and dads are away.

Every year, thousands of prisoners’ kids attend summer camps through Angel Tree Camping. Angel is one of those kids, and for her, camp has been a refuge.

Prison Fellowship’s Emily Andrews accompanied her church’s Angel Tree team to deliver gifts around Northern Virginia. This story captures the memory of what they gave—and what they unexpectedly received—on their journey to offer joy on strangers’ doorsteps.

Four-year-old Kassey was confused when her father went to prison. But with the help of Angel Tree, she came to understand that good things can come from bad situations.

Ruby Payne couldn’t have expected what happened two days before last December’s Angel Tree® event. But together, they rose above the challenges to share hope and grace.

When a parent goes to prison, their child and family do time with them. Though prisoners’ children face some extraordinary challenges, hundreds of thousands of them are finding hope each year through Angel Tree.

A chance encounter brought Jean together with the family of the man who robbed her. Could victim and family find a way to move forward?

Trisha’s childhood was chaotic, thanks to her dad’s drug use and incarceration. Angel Tree delivered hope that continues to shine brighter in her life.

Right now, thousands of youth across America are packing their bags for childhood’s most basic rite of summer—a week away at camp. What is Angel Tree Camping®, and how is it helping at-risk children embrace hope-filled futures?