ST. JOHNSBURY â As the holiday season draws closer, two St. Johnsbury Academy juniors are making sure there will be presents under the tree for area children. Henry Heilman and Jude Coe volunteer with Hope Beneath the Tree to send holiday gifts to children in families impacted by the criminal justice system. According to their website, the group matches children who have incarcerated parents with gift givers.
Hope Beneath the Tree is a Vermont organization founded in 2013 by Susan Randall and a small circle of friends and family. The program became popular, presenting gifts to 120 children in 2017 and 200 in 2018. It has since expanded and is now being run by high school and college students, and other volunteers. As part of their efforts, Henry and Jude have been facilitating the matching process and making calls to guardians. Over 350 gifts were provided to children impacted by the criminal justice system last year.