Eastern State Gives Toys to Children With Parents Behind Bars

A holiday toy drive is being held for kids whose parents are incarcerated.

It was not an ordinary Tuesday yesterday at Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia. It was "Giving Tuesday."

The workers of Eastern State are making an effort to make the holiday season a little less lonely but a lot brighter for children who cannot celebrate Christmas with their parents because they are separated by prison bars.

The Holiday Toy Drive started November 25 and the penitentiary will be welcoming toy donations until December 21.

"A lot of the kids that this toy drive serves, don't realize there are people out there who love them and care about them and are concerned. What they feel is the absence of their parents," Sean Kelley, Eastern State Penitentiary senior vice president, shared.

Children with incarcerated parents

The Eastern state has been doing the holiday toy drive for 9 nine years already, and they do it to give the community an opportunity to come together and bless families that are experiencing incarceration during the holiday season.

According to Advocates for Children of Incarcerated Parents, America has 2.1 million incarcerated people, making it the highest incarcerated population in the world. Fifty-four percent of this population have 1 or more minor kids, which means that 1 in 28 children has a parent/s behind bars.

The kids are said to possibly suffer significant unfortunate effects from parental incarceration like financial hardship, housing instability, social and emotional challenges, negative educational outcomes, changing caregivers, and increased health issues.

In Pennsylvania alone, an estimated 81,000 children have a parent incarcerated in a Pennsylvania state prison.

Eastern State was able to distribute 1,700 toys to children through their community partners, and according to Adele Williams, a drug addict for 27 years until she was imprisoned for 6 months, 20 years ago, these toys bring "a little brightness into a broken heart."

Read Also: Parental Incarceration: Reducing The Impact On Children

Calling for toy donations

Williams is a voice for many families, CBS News reported.

She recalled that when she was incarcerated, she cannot forget that one Christmas that she spent far away from her kids and family. She shared that Christmastime then was so bad because her mother had to do everything for her children and the family did not have her. It was heartbreaking to remember that her kids were not able to receive presents that their mother was supposed to be giving them.

Williams emphasized that events like the holiday toy drive is a big help for all incarcerated families, especially for the kids who do not have their parents with them.

The Eastern State is inviting the public to welcome this opportunity to give and bless.

Any visitor of the penitentiary who donates a new toy or children's book will receive a coupon for the "Buy One, Get One Free" Daytime Tour Admission, which will be valid until December 31, 2025.

They highly recommend donating toys and books that support kids' imaginations, literacy skills, creativity and self-esteem. Make sure though that the donations are in their original packaging and not gift wrapped.

Donations can be dropped off during all public tour hours, purchased online or shipped directly at Eastern State.

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