Angel Tree—A Program of Prison Fellowship

Geneva College Sports Information Director Christine Lear delivered an Angel Tree gift to a nine-month old girl in Beaver Falls. “It could have been awkward,” Christine remembers, “But the grandmother, who cared for the baby, was so kind. She obviously cherished that little girl, told me all about her, and was so thankful. I was there representing the father, who was in jail, and couldn’t buy Christmas presents for his baby. He communicated what he wanted to get her, pink clothes and an educational toy, and that’s exactly what I got her. It was a privilege to buy those gifts on his behalf—and even more of a privilege to give them.” She did it with a servant’s heart and the love of Christ.

Each Christmas season, Geneva student-athletes step up to share God’s love with families in the midst of a difficult time through Angel Tree, a nationwide program that connects incarcerated parents with their children. The ministry seeks to bring restoration to families dealing with incarceration through the delivery of Christmas gifts and the Gospel.

Members from all of Geneva’s spring sports teams— baseball, softball, men and women’s track & field, and men’s tennis—partner with TRAILS Ministries, which has been the Angel Tree coordinator for Beaver County since 2001. Through the partnership, local children with a father or mother in a federal or state prison or the Beaver County Jail receive clothing items and toys directly from Geneva students on behalf of the parents.

Lear says, “It is personally very exciting when Geneva student-athletes from across the nation and world interact with the community that Geneva has been called to be part of—Beaver Falls. This is my home and these are my neighbors. I take a lot of pride in witnessing these student-athletes realize that Beaver Falls is their home, too, while at Geneva, and these are their neighbors, as well.”

And the students love serving. Senior softball player Dayna Hicks, who has been involved for the past two years, says, “It's such a great feeling to take a weight off the parents’ shoulders during the holidays by knowing that their children are still getting presents from them. Just because they are incarcerated doesn't mean they forget about their children.”

Morgan Peaco, a junior on the women’s track and field team agrees. “Overall, the whole experience is amazing,” she says. “It’s a great way for our team to be able to give back to the community and be a part of something special. We are able to help the parents give a gift to their children in time for Christmas, which means a lot to them and to their children. I am excited to be a part of this again this year, and by the fact that more members of our team will be involved.”

Lear sums up Angel Tree perfectly: “The ministry is much deeper than gathering up funds and giving toys to kids. Angel Tree emphasizes that the gifts of a clothing item and toy are from the child’s incarcerated parent, not from us. The Geneva student-athletes simply fill the dream of the parent to provide a gift for their kid by purchasing the gift, wrapping it and delivering it in time for Christmas.”

–Kelsey Robinson ’17