Angel Tree Program
There are many children on the Mississippi Gulf Coast who will not receive Christmas presents without the help and support of people like yourself. Here at The Salvation Army, every child who needs Christmas assistance is called an Angel. When you visit a local retailer, you may choose an Angel to “adopt” and purchase new and unused presents to help make their Christmas a little brighter. Every Angel has suggested gift ideas, but we also encourage you to be creative! Millions of children in America will go without Christmas gifts because their parents can’t afford them. Financial and emotional stress dampen the Christmas cheer of families living in poverty.
Give Joy:
The Salvation Army Angel Tree program aims to give children in need, between the ages of 0-12 years, a Christmas they may not have otherwise. Anonymous donors adopt these little “angels” in an expanding Christmas tradition that makes the season brighter for both the gift giver and receiver.
If you or your group (organization, club, church, business) would like to sponsor an Angel Tree or adopt an Angel in your community, please contact your local Salvation Army.
Adopt an Angel:
1) Take an angel from the Angel Tree
2) Purchase gifts for that child. There are gift suggestions on the Angel provided by the parent, but you can also be creative and purchase items you think that child would enjoy!
3) Don’t wrap your gifts! Bundle all of your new and unwrapped gifts and return them to the business where you received your Angel or you may drop the gifts at our Distribution Center:
4) Don’t forget to include your Angel code on the gifts! This way, we will know which child should receive gifts.
5) You may include gift wrap and wrapping accessories with your gifts, but please do not wrap your gifts.
Give Time:
In many locations, The Salvation Army needs volunteers to help distribute the gifts along with food for holiday meals to the participating families. Often times, employees and family members of the sponsoring organization help distribute their group’s gifts throughout their community. Sign up to volunteer.
Toy Drive:
Collect and donate new toys and clothes that children of all ages would enjoy. This way, should any children not receive many presents or not get adopted, we always have extra presents to help make their Christmas special. Plus, we always have emergency situations where a family needs help at the last minute.
If you would like to become a Toy Drive location, please contact 228-374-8301. In Jackson County, please call 228-762-7222.
Do you need help this year providing your children with gifts?
We would like to thank all of our business partners that helped distribute Angels! Without your help, we would not have been able to help over 1,000 children on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
HISTORY OF THE ANGEL TREE
The Angel Tree is a unique program that started in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1979. It involves the community in a direct way allowing them to become personally involved by sharing with those less fortunate in their community. The program provides gifts of new clothing and toys to thousands of children who otherwise might not have anything for Christmas.
Children who are recipients of Angel Tree gifts are from families who have applied for Christmas assistance through the Social Services program of The Salvation Army. During the application process, the clothing sizes and special needs of the children are determined and written on the application and is then transferred to paper “angels” along with the child’s first name, age, and sex.
The “angels” contain a code number which corresponds to the client’s application number. All children in a family have the same code number, followed by “A” for the first child, “B” for the second child, etc.
The angels are then taken to area shopping malls and various local retailers and businesses where they are selected by shoppers who then purchase any or all of the items listed. After purchasing these items, the gifts are returned to the Angel Tree distribution centers.
Each Angel Tree family is given an appointment date and time to come back and receive their gifts for the children or “Angels”. It is not based on a first-come, first-serve basis. The items that were carefully and lovingly selected and purchased for each child is what the child will receive.