With the uncertainty and challenges that we have all faced during 2020, I have been especially reflective during the start of this holiday season. As I look around, I find countless blessings and things to be grateful for in my life and want to do everything I can to ensure that individuals and families who are in need have the opportunity to be extraordinarily blessed this Christmas as well.
For the past six years, HOPE for Prisoners has been proud to host one of our most meaningful events – 50 Christmases. This special event gives us the opportunity to create a wonderful Christmas experience for the children of incarcerated parents and the guardians who are entrusted with their care while their parents are absent. In partnership with SOS Radio and many of our local churches, we have partnered together each holiday season to provide Christmas for 50 unique families that includes a trimmed tree, dinner, gift, entertainment, a Christmas message – and most importantly, time spent with their incarcerated loved one.
This year, in the midst of the ongoing pandemic, like everyone, we and these families are faced with tremendous challenges. With limited physical interaction, restricted gathering sizes and event cancellations, we are determined to not let COVID cancel Christmas for these families! We have adjusted our traditional event and will be personally delivering “Christmas” to the home of our 50 families this year and we need assistance. Our visit to each home will include virtual time spent with their incarcerated family member through the use of technology and a great deal of amazing assistance from the Nevada Department of Corrections.
We are so grateful for those of you who have supported our event in years past, but this year we need your help more than ever. We are inviting you to make a difference in the lives of these special children this Christmas and also assist HOPE for Prisoners to continue our mission of transforming the lives of incarcerated men, women and their families. Please consider a gift of any amount that can be donated at www.hopeforprisoners.org/donate.
35“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “ Matthew 25: 35-40
