A Special Day for Kids With Incarcerated Parents

One child has a father serving a life sentence and another has a father on death row. Many have both parents behind bars. In an effort to provide some holiday cheer to these and other children of inmates, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is holding a gathering today to feed, entertain and provide toys to about 600 children.

“They are the innocent victims,” said Sandi Burns, the event organizer. “We kind of think they have been forgotten.” Part of the mission, Burns said, is to help these children regain some trust they may have lost in adults.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the children will be treated to a lunch of chicken, stuffing and mashed potatoes at the Doubletree Hotel Orange County. Santa will hand out about 1,000 presents provided by the Toys for Tots program and the Spark of Love-Orange County Fire Authority. Magicians, mimes, choral groups and Mighty Duck mascots also will entertain the children.

This is the 14th annual event for the children put on by Friends Outside, a program St. Vincent de Paul runs out of its Santa Ana office.

Church Event Features Dickens-Style Village

Fullerton’s Eastside Christian Church will re-create a Charles Dickens-style English village for a free Christmas fair today and Sunday.

Visitors are invited to stroll through the fair, decked with festive lights and more than 50 Christmas trees, from 5 to 10 p.m.

Church volunteers will provide music and entertainment, including games and crafts for kids.

Father Christmas of Dickens’ England will greet guests and hand out treats to children. A live Nativity scene also will be presented. The event will be held at the church, 2505 Yorba Linda Blvd., Fullerton. For more information, call (714) 871-6844.

New Grant to College Will Fund Recruitment

The Lutheran Bible Institute at Concordia University in Irvine will use a $9,100 grant announced this month to recruit more students to its new “house of studies” program, institute President Ben Johnson said.

The institute created the two-year program in September to teach students about the Bible. Students meet with professors in small groups to read and discuss Scripture.

The institute received the grant from the Aid Assn. for Lutherans in Wisconsin, which gives out grants to help Lutheran colleges, universities and Bible institutes.