COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Between Wednesday and Friday, handmade holiday gifts are being delivered to long-term care residents across the state — but their creators may come as a surprise. Bryan Stirling with the SC Department of Corrections and Connie Munn with the SC Department on Aging say over 1,600 presents will be given out to long-term care residents — all made by inmates across the state. “They’re spending their time in prison for the crimes they’ve committed, so it gives them a sense of community and the ability to give back, and I would say some sympathy. And that’s kind of a nice skill to learn, and not everybody has that, and that teaches them sympathy, and they can give back to people that may not have anything for Christmas,” says Stirling. Inmates handmade knitted caps, scarves, blankets, and Christmas cards — spending months to complete their creations. “This makes such an impact on our residents, to know that the inmates have spent hours making these handmade gifts for them, and many times it’s the only thing they may receive during the holiday season. And as Director Stirling said, during this time, they’re isolated anyway and to have a little nugget and a little gift, whether it’s a card or an afghan to wrap up in — it’s something to receive that they would not receive otherwise,” says Munn. “Operation: Spread the Joy” began in 2020 as an effort to lift the spirits of long-term care residents during the pandemic. And Munn says their spirits still need lifting, with 57% of residents in long-term care facilities having no visitors year-round. “And so we have a visitor program, you can go to our website to become a volunteer to be able to go into the facilities all year and visit with our residents,” says Munn. The SC Dept. on Aging (located at 1301 Gervais Street, Suite 350, Columbia, SC 29201) can be reached by phone at 1-800-868-9095, or 803-734-9900. Stirling says 19 out of 21 prisons across SC participate in “Operation: Spread the Joy.” Categories: Local News, News Tags: Bryan Stirling, Connie Munn, gifts, inmates, SC Department of Corrections, SC Department on Aging