Help children of incarcerated parents unwrap hope with the Angel Tree Project, volunteer training Saturday

The time of giving is right around the corner. And the Angel Tree Program not far behind. 

Vangie Cabacar is the program coordinator.

"For the most part what the Angel Tree does is it helps, I wanna use the word restore, a broken relationship between an incarcerated parent and the child," she said. "But I wanna say it not just affects the inmate but the whole family and the community as a whole." 

Through Angel Tree, volunteers reach out to children of incarcerated parents, sending them gifts– and families unwrapping hope.

For Cabacar, the mission is personal– and one of healing. 

"We lost a family member many years ago," she shared. "And so for me, the Angel Tree has a lot to do, or this is why I do the program because of that purpose."

Cabacar opens up about the 2006 homicide of her 22-month-old granddaughter Irie. 

The pain -- still real. 

Today, Cabacar finds her place with Angel Tree as healing. 

"I couldn’t imagine doing anything else," she said. "It just seems like the right thing to do. For me and the work that I do, I feel that one partly it’s restorative justice."

It's justice to help others in hopes to stop the cycle of violent crime. 

Her motto: as a community, we can make a difference. 

"It’s reduction recidivism because prisoners change their attitudes about society and our community," she said. 

Cabacar adds the program helps incarcerated parents stay in contact with their families while serving their prison sentence, which she says contributes to reducing re-offending rates. 

You can join in and become a volunteer with the Angel Tree Program. Virtual training through Zoom is this Saturday, Oct. 1. 

To get involved, email vangie_guam@ yahoo.com.