Project coordinators posing in front of the ICIO giving tree, some holding crochet animals made by inmates. (l to r) Kristi Lynch, Laura Ashford, Jenny Rupple, and Brenda Layne.
Warming the Winter: Christmas with ICIO and Northwest Children’s Home
Staff from the Idaho Correctional Institution – Orofino (ICIO) and the North Idaho Correctional Institution – Cottonwood (NICI) will be meeting at the Northwest Children’s Home in Lewiston playing Santa Claus Friday, Dec. 18. Between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. they will be wrapping presents donated by correctional staff and offenders.
Gifts will be handed out from 11-12 at one of the four homes. From 12-1 monetary donations will be presented to the Director Rod Nelson after which the other three homes will receive their gifts. There are about 70 children living on the Lewiston children’s home campus.
The way the project was set up, in November a Christmas tree was erected in the
lobbies of the prisons in
Cottonwood
and Orofino with paper stockings hanging on it. Each stocking represented one
child at the home and had three Christmas gift wishes written on it. The
stocking also had the child’s gender, age, and a special number representing the
child’s name (confidentiality).
Sergeant Layne and Sergeant Lynch from ICIO, Adena Lunders from NICI, as well as other prison staff wanting to attend, will be participating in the gift presentation. It is hoped the activity will bring some smiles to the faces of children who will not be spending the holidays with family.
Sergeant Layne talked about the history of this project to the present:
This is our first annual "Warming the Winter" charity drive. It was
created from what the Idaho Department of Correction staff member, Mary
Caldwell, does down south in the
Boise area for children's
homes. We found out there were homes in
Lewiston
and I started making contacts about doing volunteer work. We went to the
Northwest Children’s Home in Lewiston and met the Director Rod Nelson.
He showed us the homes and we asked how we could help. They needed some painting done so Adena Lunders, my daughter and myself painted a hallway. We still have to finish that and paint a small room. We decided to collect donations early this fall and then in November we put up our ‘Giving Trees’ in the prison lobbies with the stocking ornaments. Each stocking has three Christmas request items on it and a number belonging to a child. The identity of the children must remain anonymous due to confidentiality. On Dec. 18 we will play Santa for the children. We will be in class A uniforms [formal uniform] when we go.
Sergeant Layne also said, “We wanted to expand the charitable giving from IDOC to the Northwest part of Idaho. We are very few but the response from staff and offenders has been tremendous for our first year. I can't wait to see what next year brings. I represent ICIO along with Sgt. Lynch. Adena Lunders is a PSRS (Psychosocial Rehab Specialist) at NICI and she is the one up there heading up her end. Laura Ashford (ICIO) is in charge of the inmate ‘Crochet Cronies’, who made stuffed animals and about 70 sets of scarf, hat and glove sets. The inmates also donated $150 to the children from their sales. Another group of offenders at ICIO made beaded Crosses, other offenders made monetary donations. I don't know the total yet but will by the Dec. 16. I think next year we will have even more as we got off to a late start this year.”
Pictured bottom left: Inmates made these little animals destined for the Children’s home.
Pictured top right: A stocking with child’s present wishes written on it. Staff took home and returned with gifts. Photos by Sgt. Heun