TOY LIFT SHARES JOY, KEEPS FAMILIES CONNECTED

OMAHA, Neb.—Dozens of volunteers went to work stuffing envelopes at The Salvation Army of Omaha’s Emergency Disaster Services building on Nov. 20 – as part of the annual Christmas Toy Lift program.

“Salvation Army employees go to Douglas County Corrections and meet with the inmates there that have children at home,” Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary member Kathy O’Connor explained.  “Inmates there will write out a Christmas card for their children.”

The team’s work does not stop there, though; the next steps were on display Nov. 20.

"Today, we have 15 Women's Auxiliary members helping to stuff the envelopes and put the gift cards in," O’Connor said.

Salvation Army employee Katy Dobson said the gift cards are actually a relatively recent development.

"They used to shop by catalogues,” she said.  “Now, [inmates’ children] have the option with a gift card to buy what they want."

O’Connor said the program is serving around 600 children this year, both in Nebraska and as far away as Texas and Oregon.

"This helps children all across the country,” O’Connor said.  “Basically, any child whose parent is incarcerated here can receive a gift card so they know that their parent is still thinking of them at Christmas, even though they cannot physically be together."

The Women’s Auxiliary said The Salvation Army budgets to make this program possible.

"The Women's Auxiliary basically matches the amount that they put in and so we can give $20 gift cards for each child,” O’Connor said.  “And all our funding comes from donations that we receive during our annual fundraiser, which is called Tastes and Treasures."

Volunteers recognize the program’s impact.

"The children...deserve to have a Christmas,” O’Connor said, “and they also need to know that their parents are thinking of them and care for them, even though they're not physically there.”

"I'm sure it helps the parents, too, because they like to know that they are doing something.  And that's got to help their esteem."