December 02, 2008 12:45 am
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The Salvation Army is asking citizens to adopt needy children and seniors through The Salvation Army Angel Tree, located at the south entrance at Penn Square Mall.
To date, The Salvation Army has provided Corporate Angel Trees to more than 60 businesses metro-wide and plans to provide Christmas cheer and presents to 1,500 families, 18 nursing centers, five senior centers and 300 social services seniors.
The Angel Tree program, which features paper angels listing a child or senior’s age, name and Christmas wishes, will provide presents for thousands of senior citizens as well as children.
Of the more than 1,800 families in the area participating in the 2008 Angel Tree program, more than 5,500 children will receive special gifts from area shoppers who choose to donate presents to the program.
All those who return gifts to The Salvation Army will be entered into a drawing for a signed Oklahoma City Thunder basketball, courtesy of The Oklahoma City Thunder NBA team.
Families who are participating were interviewed in October and November to be a part of the program, said Major Belinda Hill, commander of Women’s Ministries at the Oklahoma City Salvation Army.
“The need is so much greater this year. We really urge the citizens of Oklahoma County to support the Angel Tree program. Everyone deserves to have a Merry Christmas,” she said.
Throughout December, citizens can pick up Angels at the Penn Square Mall location.
When the presents are returned from the locations and the businesses, hundreds of volunteers will work to “process” the gifts at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds Expo Building 1.
The gifts will be sorted, put into individual family boxes and handed out Dec. 18 and 19 to the families who signed up. The presents for children are not wrapped as The Salvation Army feels that children should not know their gifts came from The Army, but instead came from their parents.
The senior citizen gifts are wrapped and delivered to the nursing centers and senior homes.
The Salvation Army Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area Command serves the communities in Oklahoma County, provides food, toys and support services to hundreds of individuals and families during the holiday season. Throughout the year, The Salvation Army’s many programs for the needy help an additional 300,000 people.
Volunteers are needed to intake the toys at The Salvation Army Toy Distribution Center, located at the Fairgrounds Expo Building 1, from Dec. 3 to 19. Those interested in volunteering can call Lois Green, volunteer coordinator, at 246-1101.
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