As the holidays approach, Lakewood Congregational Church (LCC) is continuing one of its biggest and most meaningful traditions, the Angel Tree program.

Each year, the church partners with a national organization to provide Christmas gifts to children who have a parent in prison. Though the project operates quietly within the church walls, its impact extends into the community further than most realize. “Angel Tree is through … the Prison Fellowship. It’s basically purchasing gifts for children of incarcerated parents on their parents’ behalf,” said Senior Pastor Joanna D’Agostino.

The number of families LCC supports has grown significantly in recent years. “Every year we choose how many we think we can reasonably do, and that has been increasing because we’ve had a lot of people want to do it. This year we have, I think, 100 families,” D’Agostino said. This growth reflects how invested the church community has become, not just in gift-giving but in the deeper meaning behind it.

She also emphasized that Angel Tree helps people understand an often-unseen reality: the number of families affected by incarceration, even in Lakewood. “The biggest thing is realizing how many families are impacted by incarceration. I think that there’s really a misconception of how many people have experienced that. I’m sure that there are classmates at Lakewood High School who receive Angel Tree gifts. You know, it’s just, it’s like, and people don’t realize that because you always think, ‘Oh, it’s other … people outside of here,’” D’Agostino said.

The process begins long before the program starts. Incarcerated parents can sign their children up, select a few specific items and note details like their child’s clothing size, favorite toys or interests. They also write a short message for their child. “[The] note that says something like, ‘I love you’ or ‘miss you.’ And that note goes on the angel tag,” D’Agostino said.

Once preparation is complete, the church launches the program after Thanksgiving. “The first Sunday of Advent … we hang all the tags on the tree and then people come after church and pick one out,” D’Agostino said. The Angel Tree, covered with tags, sits in the church’s main area. Volunteers choose a tag and take it to shop for the child’s presents.

“They have up to $50 a gift. They’re supposed to buy one like clothing or outfit kind of thing and then one like a toy kind of thing,” said D’Agostino. Volunteers can shop anywhere they want, wrap the gifts at home, and drop them off at the church before the deadline. As the deadline approaches, “the office gets full of presents,” D’Agostino said.

What makes Angel Tree special isn’t just the gifts — it’s the intention behind them. “It’s sweet to … try to buy what’s on the tag because it shows … that’s the idea that their parent had to get for them. If it says they like stuffed animals or … Pokémon cards … it shows that that intention is there,” D’Agostino said.

For D’Agostino, the most important part of Angel Tree goes beyond presents; it’s about connection. “I think the biggest thing is that it creates connection. Anything we can do to create a sense of connection [helps]. Our criminal justice system in general is created to disconnect people. It’s intended to separate people. The more we can do to say, ‘Here’s a way that you can be connected to the people that you love,’ it really has an impact on the family all around,” D’Agostino said.

Many of the volunteers participating in the Angel Tree program say they’re motivated by the chance to support their own community. “I chose to do this program so I could give back to the community that has given so much to me,” said Angel Tree volunteer Addi Hoy.

For others, the simple and accessible setup makes it easy to get involved, even for first-time volunteers. “I enjoy how organized and easy it is and how well put together it is. It’s simple and easy enough so, like, anyone can do it,” said Angel Tree volunteer Carys Crone. Their experiences show how the program not only helps families in need but also inspires students and community members to step up and make a difference.

The Angel Tree program shows that a seemingly small act, such as buying a gift for a child you’ve never met, can actually help rebuild a connection a family has lost. During the holiday season, that connection might be the greatest gift of all.