Article: Prisoners donate gifts to charities

[Slainte]

Wednesday, December 22, 2004 - Bangor Daily News

WARREN - Inmates in the Longtimers' Group at Maine State Prison have a lot of time on their hands, but their days are not idly spent. The group is made up of prisoners with sentences of 10 years or more. One of the projects they work on throughout the year is making handmade toys and memory boxes to donate to charities.

A table full of toys and a $500 check were presented Tuesday to The Salvation Army, and dozens of wooden memory boxes were donated to the Jason Program. The Jason Program is a nonprofit organization that helps children throughout Maine who are facing life-threatening illness. The memory boxes are given to families that have lost loved ones. This year, two prisoners - Todd Trask, 33, and a secret Santa - carved horses for a child who is dying. The youth has a passion for horses and wanted a horse statue for Christmas. Trask spent a month carving his horse, he said, noting he began woodcarving only a year ago. Another inmate, who preferred to remain anonymous, carved a carousel horse with the child's name whittled on the side. In past years, the group has made wagons that were adapted for children with special needs and a large dollhouse for the Jason Program. "It opens our hearts up to help these little kids," inmate Steve Carpentier, 50, said. Kate Eastman, executive director and co-founder of the Jason Program, applauded the inmates for their contributions. "The Jason Program is all about community helping," she said.

The all-volunteer program provides grief support, counseling, hospice services and other palliative care to critically ill and dying children in Maine. The Longtimers' Group was formed in 1983, President Christopher Carr said, and is looking to get more involved in outreach work to help local schools and community programs. Anyone interested in working with the group should contact staff liaison Chuck Nguyen at the prison.