River Junction Work Camp staff elves and inmates make toys and repair bikes for tykes

For several years River Junction Work Camp (RJWC) Correctional Officer Bonnie Jones and her crew of elves work diligently collecting old and seemingly non-repairable toys at RJWC. With donations from the Sneads Police Department, various members of the local community and staff members, Officer Jones and her crew refurbish to a like new condition bicycles and toys for distribution to needy children in the community.  This year the group has refurbished 108 bicycles and they have made 56 wooden toys, which include rocking horses, airplanes and cradles.  Each cradle will be complete with a brand new baby doll provided by staff members.

Without these items, many area children would definitely have a bleak Christmas.  Items are collected throughout the year in order to help place a smile on the face of an innocent child.  River Junction, which is a work camp assigned to Apalachee Correctional Institution, is under the direction of Warden John Palmer, Assistant Wardens John Barfield and Chris Atkins, Colonel Timothy Copeland, Majors Terry Lollie and James Coker.

Reporters interested in interviews or taking photographs of the toys, contact Gretl Plessinger at (850) 488-0420.

 

 

These are just some of the bikes, trikes and scooters repaired by Department of Corrections inmates at River Junction Work Camp.