Salvation Army volunteers work to bring Christmas joy to children of inmates through program

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A special Salvation Army program is bringing joy to children whose parents are serving time behind bars.

Volunteers wrapped Christmas presents for kids of inmates on Saturday.

Roughly 150 Salvation Army volunteers gathered at the Distribution Center to wrap the presents. It was all to make sure that kids who are separated from a parent will wake up on Christmas Day with a gift.

Over the summer, the Salvation Army provided inmates at 33 prisons across the state with a catalog of toys to choose from. Once they select the gifts, Salvation Army volunteers buy, wrap, pack, and ship the presents to the child's home.

The child doesn't even know that the Salvation Army is involved.

"There's many people in prison that need to see their families over the holidays, and that just doesn't happen, but to be able to give a special gift to their family members, to bring joy to the families, we're all about that, and spreading joy in our city, and all over the world," said volunteer Glynis Payne-Walker.

Last year, the prison toy program gave nearly 4,000 gifts to children of inmates.

It's funded by donations through the Red Kettle Campaign.