Spread the Joy: Advent 2025: Day 6

Children who have at least 1 parent that is incarcerated are more likely to experience poverty, struggle with mental health issues, to have difficulty in school, face homelessness and to follow the pathways of the parent and become engaged with gangs, criminal activity and perhaps be incarcerated themselves. Children of parents that are imprisoned struggle with fear and embarrassment surrounding their parents' confinements and are often teased and bullied by their peers.

If you ask me, a child shouldn't have to suffer because of the poor choices of their parents. Especially during the holidays. The Christian ministry Prison Fellowship, seeks ways to help children deal with having one or more parent in prison. Along with helping the family unit continue to engage and interact as much as possible through letters, email, visitation and special events, Prison Fellowship helps provide counseling for minors of convicted parents as well as summer camp experiences in which children can interact with other children whose parents are incarcerated.

But perhaps my favorite annual event is the Angel Tree. You used to be able to go to the local mall and pick an angel ornament off of the Prison Fellowship Christmas tree. On the back of the Angel was a name of a child, their age and wishes for clothes and toys for the holidays.

I remember one year a child wanted a Dr. Drill n' Fill toy. It was only a couple of days before Christmas and the  volunteers didn't know what that toy was. But I remember having one as a kid. It was a dentistry set from Play Doh where you would fill a patient's cavities with silver clay and you could brush the teeth and other things. 

We had already already bought some gifts for some of my wife's DSS kids for Christmas. But I just couldn't let that little guy go without a Dr. Drill n' Fill for Christmas. So I promptly took the ornament off the tree, headed off to the nearest store where I knew I could find it and bought it, wrapped it up in one of my patented gift bags with matching tissue paper and gave the gift to the volunteers. 

I can't remember the child's name and I never got a thank you card or anything like that. But I hope that my wish fulfillment possibly inspired that little fella to grow up and become a dentist. Or at the very least, practice a lifetime of proper dental hygiene.

Not the one I bought for the Angel Tree.

If such a story is inspiring to you, then consider one of two ways to help. First, you can make a financial contribution here. Or if you are wanting to shop for some toys (and who doesn't?!), check with Prison Fellowship for area churches and religious organizations that are Angel Tree partners by emailing them at info@pfm.org.

Classic Toys from a Madman's Youth: Advent 2019 Day 13

Today's Advent is a toy that had a lot of influence on my becoming a chef. I'm talking about Play-Doh! Not because I ate it. No; Play-Doh influenced me thanks to numerous sets designed to show just how fun cooking and food can be.

The one I remember the most was the sizzling skillet. Here, you could mold your Play-Doh into burgers and steaks. Then you could put them on this plastic tray with a metal coil in the center. As you pressed down on the food with your spatula, the play would give off this sizzling sound as if you were really cooking something on the stove!

Another set that I played with from Play-Doh was the Burger King Whopper maker. Here you could pressed out burgers, lettuce tomato and buns. Wanted fries? Just take some yellow clay and use the extruder! However, if you didn't cut the fries from time to time with this little plastic knife, you'd end up with one long fries instead of a whole bag.

Later in the 90s or so, my cousins or my sister would end up with the McDonald's set. The press was in the shape of a McDonald's restaurant. Along with making fries and burgers, one could press out a milkshake or ice cream cone and make chicken nuggets. Below is a picture of the 2003 edition. Sorry I could not find a pic appropriate from when we were all younger. 

Lastly, I remember a set that didn't really have anything to do with food. But based on all the fast food one would eat from these Play-Doh sets, it sorta ties in. I am talking about the Doctor Drill n' Fill!

Though it's a play set in which kids become dentists. It kinda fits in well with Christmas. Remember Hermey wanted to be a dentist at the North Pole! I honestly do not know if I got this set for Christmas or not. But I had such fond memories, a few years ago, I had the honor of getting one of these sets for a youngster who wanted it for his Angel Tree present. The people in charge of the tree that year had no idea what it was! But I did! Though I was very surprised that Play-Doh still makes this set after nearly 40 years of being on shelves!

For my Advent present for you, here's a vintage Play-Doh commercial of the Doctor Drill n' Fill from 1979. Sorry that the quality isn't all that great, but you really get to see how cool this unusual toy really was. And then when you are done watching, why don't you check out the Angel Tree locator and sponsor a child this holiday season!

Enjoy~