She's 28 and has never had a good Christmas.

That's what she said as she broke down crying about a month ago when the subject of Christmas was brought up by Brenda Kriedman, Salvation Army's director of social services.

But those were Christmases past. Her first good Christmas is expected to happen this year, for her and her three kids.

Kriedman said the woman - who had parents with drinking problems and was in and out of foster homes, and then had an abusive husband she fled from recently - is getting help from the Salvation Army and the Playpen project, an annual program that offers toys to low-income families so they are assured of having Christmas gifts for their kids.

The toys are donated from the community - and are now being collected through Dec. 10 in a container in the southwest corner of the south Dan's Supermarket, 835 S. Washington St. The donated toys are cleaned up and repaired by inmates at the Missouri River Correctional Center and the Dakota Women's Correctional and Rehabilitation Center in New England.

Kriedman said the woman, who's oldest child is in second grade, left an outlying town to move to Bismarck recently after deciding that being homeless in Bismarck instead of staying in her abusive marital relationship was the better choice.

Kriedman said the woman has found a job working on tax returns, and Salvation Army has helped her find housing and furniture.

"But she can barely afford to keep herself above water,"Kriedman said.

The Playpen program is a way for families to help their children have a nice Christmas and still be able to continue to pay the bills and not get behind, she said. Like this woman.

"She doesn't want that much - just a tree, lights … and the fact the kids will have gifts," Kriedman said.

Kriedman said the program helped 340 families last year, but at the rate families are being added to the program, that number could increase by another 100 families this year, she said.

Families are selected after they show proof of income and bills and the Salvation Army determines there is a verifiable need.

"We turn down very few,"Kriedman said.

She said that last year about three families were turned down because their income was too high.

She said some families selected may make a good income usually, but because of current circumstances, such as unexpected bills, sickness, are deserving of the program's help.

This year, donations were coming in so slowly that organizers were worried they wouldn't have enough this year, especially considering the increase in families signed up for the program. But last Saturday donations picked up incredibly, says Dave Heidt, an MRCCcorrections officer who oversees the inmates who repair toys.

"Saturday, we picked up three truckloads (from the container)," Heidt said.

And the loads keep coming.

He said a great donation was a digital camera - although the pictures of what appears to be college kids drinking and partying will be erased before the camera is given away.

Heidt said about 30 percent of what's donated has to be thrown away into a dumpster Waste Management donates for the program.

Heidt has inmates with electronics, mechanical and other skills to work on the items. But they're not wizards, and items donated, particularly plastics, that are severely discolored, worn and broken have to be discarded.

But overall, the quality of the items are better than previous years' donations when Heidt had to throw away as much as 50 percent of donations.

And donations now are coming in at a record level.

"I don't know how to thank everybody,"Heidt said. "If I could buy everyone a cup of coffee and doughnut I would."

The program, a combined effort of the Salvation Army, Dan's Supermarket, the North Dakota State Penitentiary and the Bismarck Tribune, is in its 20th year.

Cash donations also are being 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.

The storage container will be at the south Dan's through Dec. 10 for donations, open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

For more information, call 667-9486.

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