Deputies play Santa to kids with jailed parents

Law enforcement officers most often interact with people during difficult times.

They deal with residents whose homes have been broken into, drivers who have just gotten into traffic accidents, and people suspected of crimes. Sometimes they are responsible for telling family members a loved one has died.

But on Tuesday afternoon, sheriff's deputies visited five Kalispell-area homes for a totally different reason - to deliver Christmas presents.

"It's not very often we ever go to a door and somebody smiles," said Flathead County Sheriff's Sgt. Ernie Freebury, who delivered packages at three Evergreen homes, not in a sleigh but from the back seat of an SUV with toplights.

Wrapped and ready to put under the tree, the gifts went to children who have a parent in prison and can't be around for the holidays.

This is the second year members of the First Presbyterian Church in Helena have coordinated gift-giving to Flathead Valley families as part of the Angel Tree program. At Christmastime, volunteers from churches participating in the Angel Tree program purchase gifts and send them to children with an incarcerated parent in that parent's name.

The program is run by Prison Fellowship, a national Christian ministry group that partners with churches across the county to serve prisoners, former prisoners and their families.

"It makes it so the girls are aware that [their father] is still a part of their lives, which is good for them. It's probably the most important part actually," said Sonja Cawood, whose 8- and 3-year-old daughters both received gifts.

The father of Brandy Fichter's youngest child, who is in prison, signed his daughter up for the program. But Fichter's three other children and 8-month-old grandchild received gifts as well.

"I think it's great, I really do," Fichter said. "It went from one kid to all of them. It really makes their day."

Caitlyn, 11, and Tommy, 3, came outside to receive, but not open, their gifts.

"It makes us feel really special that we get to have this this year," Caitlyn said.

Her grandfather, Mike Pourroy, agreed: "It probably means quite a bit getting something from their father."

Approximately 1.5 million U.S. children have a parent in prison, and 7.3 million children have a parent under some form of correctional supervision, according to Angel Tree. Twenty-two percent of children with a parent in prison are under 5, the majority of children are under 10, and the average age is 8.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com