Taking pride in their work is one thing, but being able to share
the holiday spirit with someone who otherwise might not have a very
Merry Christmas is something the inmates at FCI McKean are very
proud of.

Those inmates turn into “elves” for a good portion of the year
making intricate, sizable wooden toys with moving parts, something
that not only the children enjoy, but adults as well.

But the donation of toys are not the only items these inmates
are known for. There are also gingerbread houses and thousands of
cookies prepared and delivered each year.

The toys and cookies are donated to the Era’s Less Fortunate
(ELF) Fund and have been for the past 13 years.

In a visit to FCI McKean earlier this week, inmate Bryan
Reckeweg took one of the toys down to the floor to demonstrate its
capabilities.

It was an excavator that sat on a flat-bed truck, which had a
cab as well as a trailer made of different types of woods.

The excavator can be twisted from side to side, and has an arm
that moves up and down. But the tiniest detail was not left out of
the demonstration, Reckeweg showed a visitor how the doors could be
opened as if to let a tiny driver step inside.

“When I first got here, I would go into the shop and be in such
a deep depression – I couldn’t get into it,” he explained of his
first experience at FCI McKean working in wood. “I didn’t think I
would enjoy it as much as I do, it’s kind of tedious work. You have
to have patience – and I think I have plenty of that right
now.”

Reckeweg and other inmates are able to participate in classes
and training that not only keeps their interests, but prepares them
for a trade or job outside of the prison.

Jeff Huyck, building trades instructor at FCI McKean explained
the inmates learn tools and wood safety while in the program that
also teaches them cabinetry, AutoCad, roofing, rough framing,
drywall and woodworking.

“One class project is for them to make a toy for the ELF Fund,”
said Huyck. “Some make more than one,” he added referring to
Reckeweg.

“He’s what I call an artist, he really gets into the wood. The
other day he was cutting out tires and I asked why he used that
particular piece of wood and he said, ‘look at the grain,'”
described Huyck. “It’s nice to see these guys are picking up on a
lot of these things.”

Reckeweg said he made six trucks in two months.

Rusty Ransom, vocational training instructor, said most of the
inmates really enjoy working on the toys.

“They don’t have to make a toy for the ELF Fund, but several of
the inmates come in on their own time and make extra toys,” he said
with a smile, glancing at the nodding inmates.

Jose Bocanegra is an inmate that has been working with Ransom
for one year, and this is the first year he has had a chance to
work on the toys for the ELF Fund.

“It’s good to see the toys come together at the end and knowing
it will go to a kid that doesn’t have a lot,” he said. According to
the others, Bocanegra works on detail painting of the toys.

“I am learning a skill while making these like using a ruler to
take measurements, and learning all the different types of woods
out there – I never knew there were so many,” he said.

For the Festival of the Trees, which is sponsored by Northwest
Savings Bank and is a part of raising money for needy families,
inmates made and donated three chairs, three rocking horses and a
rocking “Harley.”

Ransom admits they could use some new ideas for toys to make,
but adds that they did make a different design in jewelry boxes
this year. He said most of their design ideas come from
magazines.

He was also reminded by the inmates present that this year they
made new three painted doll houses and wagons for the ELF Fund
children.

Inmate Gary Doubrava also started working in the woodshop last
year and on ELF Fund toys this year.

“I was too late for it last year, but I couldn’t wait to get
started this year,” he said. “We try to beat the number of toys we
make each year.

“I think the ELF Fund is a great program, we are locked up and
it gets us into the season,” he added saying that Huyck and Ransom
are great instructors.

“I know I’ll have a trade for life. It’s not too strenuous and
you can do things for yourself instead of hiring someone else to do
the work,” said Doubrava. “Mr. Huyck sings Christmas songs while we
build. It helps get us in the mood.”

Huyck and Ransom said they also do “live projects” for the
institution, which means they conduct work and build items such as
work stations or podiums. They said they also do projects in the
community.

Last year they worked on a home during Rebuilding Together,
formerly Christmas in April, and the two said the inmates who
worked on that project are still talking about it. They plan to do
the same next year.

“I would like to say something that Doubrava touched on,” said
Ransom. “And that is what the ELF Fund means to these guys here.
Even though they are locked up, it means a lot to them to do this.
I hear them singing while they make cookies, it really brings the
Christmas spirit to them – they get a good Christmas feeling. I
feel real fortunate to see that.

“Then I go to the distribution center and I am real fortunate
because I get to see everybody enjoy the toys,” added Ransom.

“Four guys that were helping pack food at the center (Tuesday)
night have been saying all day they couldn’t wait to go do it
again. They said, ‘Bradford’s beautiful,'” continued Ransom. “It’s
a really good thing for FCI inmates and the community.”

Others that can be attributed with making sure the toys get to
the children are inmate volunteers, other students of the classes,
and members of the paintshop, who are the last to see the toys
before they leave the institution.

Bradford Forest Products supplies FCI McKean with the wood and
Camp Administrator and Executive Assistant at FCI McKean Monica
Recktenwald gets all of the paperwork done.

“It takes a lot of people working together,” said Recktenwald.
“And there is staff who personally adopt ELF Fund
participants.”

As if 160 handmade toys weren’t enough, inmates at FCI McKean
put their baking skills to work at this time of the season to
provide needy families with more than 18,000 cookies.

That’s right, a dozen gingerbread houses and 1,500 dozen
cookies, and they all go to the Era’s Less Fortunate (ELF) Fund
families.

As part of their learning curriculum, the inmates go through a
baking components lesson so they know what to do and can bake from
experience.

“They learn to bake from scratch,” said Michael Flowers,
culinary arts instructor at FCI McKean. “They cut out templates and
work on artistic decoration on the gingerbread houses. They work
from about 7:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.”

The inmates also learn food service management and can then go
on to work in an apprenticeship program in the culinary arts food
service program.

“They spend three years and 3,000 hours in the program, one guy
graduated in June but he stayed on to help others,” said Flowers.
“They do quality work and it is marketable vocational training to
get them up to the level they can train others.

“They really appreciate it and like the work, and it gives them
the chance to experience Christmas,” added Flowers. “It’s a good
opportunity for them to do this, they don’t get a lot of life work
without taking jobs from others outside the prison walls – they
always welcome and appreciate the opportunity to do something.”

Three inmates this year worked on the baking for the ELF Fund
and those three were assisted as needed by others including a
tutor.

Jeremy Singleton is the inmate graduate that Flowers was
referring to when he said one man has stayed on to help others
learn.

“I feel good doing this,” said Singleton describing the shapes
of the cookies and the colors they use. “Green for Christmas trees,
blue for angels and yellow for stars.”

He worked on both the cookies and the gingerbread houses.

“It’s a great class – the best one I took,” said Singleton.

Rusty Ransom, vocational training instructor said, “Singleton
has been an exemplary cook, he had also been through and involved
in several programs including barbering, barber apprenticeship, and
received his GED while in prison.”

Daniel Flores worked on the gingerbread houses this year, his
second year making baked goods for the ELF Fund.

Flores said he can’t take credit for the gingerbread houses
himself, but adds that he needed the help of those more experienced
such as Singleton.

“I feel real good about myself working on them,” he said of the
cookies for the ELF Fund. “It’s a wonderful program and at the end,
you will be able to handle any food service operation with the help
of others and be successful.”

Corey Besaw said he has been working with Flowers on and off for
a few years and is working on his apprenticeship at this time. He
said he has learned every different position while in the classes
including serving, cooking and bakery.

The inmates also explained that they learn safe food handling,
cleaning and sanitizing while learning how to cook with safe
temperatures.

“I feel good knowing that we are helping other people,” said
Corey about the ELF Fund and added, “Without staff and the extra
help they give us in book work, we probably couldn’t accomplish the
things we accomplish, too. It’s not that they just come to work,
but they come to work to help. Mr. Flowers helped me get my
GED.”