His favorite Christmas gift when he was a child was old - a used item from Salvation Army, an old cloth doll, restitched and stuffed, and made to look like a farmer.

"As a child growing up, I always wanted to be a farmer," said Ray Patterson, 40, who grew up near Chicago in a family of seven children, one parent, and not enough money.

It was an old doll, but he said he loved it. "Any little thing can bring joy to kids,"he said.

And without the Salvation Army and other charitable organizations they wouldn't have had gifts, he said.

So Patterson, now an inmate at the minimum security Missouri River Correctional Center south of Bismarck, said he knows first-hand how important such programs are, and that's why he's volunteering his time to clean and repair donated toys in this year's 20th annual Christmas Playpen project put on by the Salvation Army, Dan's Supermarket, North Dakota State Penitentiary and the Bismarck Tribune.

It works this way: Starting Monday, Dan's south store, at 835 S. Washington St., will have a container in its parking lot for the public to bring in donated toys and bikes. Donations will be accepted through Dec. 10. The container will be open for donations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

Throughout the donation period, prison personnel will pick up donations and take them to the inmates.

Inmates at the women's correctional facility in New England will get mainly dolls, while the six inmate volunteers at MRCCwill get bikes, electronic equipment and other toys to work on.

In December, the finished toys will be available for low-income families at the Salvation Army's Joy Shop.

Eligible low-income parents will then go through the Salvation Army's Joy Shop, which will be filled with the donated items, to pick out Christmas presents.

Last year, 1,1212 children from 320 families received used toys from the Christmas Playpen, up more than 50 from the previous Christmas.

And Brenda Kriedman, Salvation Army director of social services, said she expects the need to be greater this year.

Toys resembling weapons will not be accepted, nor will stuffed animals, which could be used to bring contraband into the prison. Toys broken beyond repair and toys and games missing pieces also are not wanted. R-rated movies will not be accepted.

Dave Heidt, a corrections officer, who oversees the inmate volunteers, said in past years donations have included women's lingerie and underwear. Those aren't wanted, either.

Remember the teenagers. They need presents, too, organizers say.

Cash donations also will be accepted and can be dropped off at, or mailed to, The Bismarck Tribune at P.O. Box 5516, Bismarck, N.D. 58506, ATTN: Bobette Miller. Make checks out to Christmas Playpen.

For more information, call 667-9486.

(Reach reporter Virginia Grantier at 250-8254 or at virginia.grantier@;bismarcktribune.com.)