Locks of Love

[Phil in Paris]

Disadvantaged children across the country are receiving help from an unlikely source: state prison inmates.

South Dakota Department of Corrections (DOC) inmates are donating their hair to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children across the U.S. under age 18 who suffer from long-term medical hair loss.

Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses provided by Locks of Love help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.

The organization, which began in 1997, has helped hundreds of children since its inception.

DOC inmates are also collecting pop tabs to donate to Ronald McDonald's House Charities, which provide a "home-away-from-home" for the families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.