BROOKFIELD, Wis. — Beth Dobrzynski has been volunteering with the Prison Fellowship Angel Tree organization for decades. It provides Christmas gifts to kids of incarcerated parents. 

“The Angel Tree program at Saint John Vianney Catholic Parish in Brookfield began in the 1990s, and that is when I got involved. It is a fantastic organization that is really bringing the parent who is incarcerated to their children,” said Dobrzynski.

Dozens of congregations and local businesses across Wisconsin take part in the program.

Those who participate get an “angel card” with a gift item written on it. Then, they pick up the gift, wrap it and bring it back to local volunteers who deliver them to the children's caregivers on behalf of the child's incarcerated parent.

1.7 million people in America are incarcerated, and that means about 1.5 million children have a parent in prison, according to Dobrzynski. 

If you’d like to help out with this mission, you can find more details here.