The Salvation Army is looking for more gifts to provide Christmas to each child this year
The REPORTER
The Salvation Army of Central Indiana needs help to reach its goal of serving 5,000 Angels this year in the Angel Tree Toy Shop program. With less than two weeks left before gifts are distributed to families, the organization has less than 85 percent of the donated toys and gifts that will be needed to fulfill each family’s needs.
The Salvation Army believes that every child deserves to experience the joy of Christmas morning and will need the community’s help to make sure there are no “Forgotten Angels” in 2023. There are years in which not every Angel is sponsored, but The Salvation Army still strives to provide gifts for these children, using donated cash and volunteer shoppers to fill these last-minute needs.
With the Angel Tree Toy Shop distribution day quickly approaching, the greatest need is financial donations to the Forgotten Angel Fund. These funds allow The Salvation Army to purchase toys for Forgotten Angels, ensuring they have a gift on Christmas morning. A donation to Angel Tree Toy Shop stays within the program and anyone can donate by clicking here.
The Angel Tree Toy Shop program provides Christmas assistance to children in need in Central Indiana each year. Parents and guardians can enroll their children aged 12 and under in the program, which helps to lighten the financial burden that the holiday season can put on struggling families.
New to the program this year is the “Toy Shop” aspect, which allows parents and guardians to shop from thousands of donated toys and choose the perfect gifts for each child. They then take the presents home, wrap them, and give them to their children on Christmas morning. Shopping is a meaningful experience for parents, and shifting to this model also allows Salvation Army staff and volunteers to spend more time with families so that they can have a deeper impact and provide more care.
“While a few toys may not work miracles in rectifying all the world’s challenges, we’ve witnessed their transformative impact in easing some of the agonizing decisions parents face – decisions that force them to choose between bestowing gifts upon their children during Christmas and meeting basic needs like food, electricity, or medical care,” said Major Rachel Stouder, Area Commander for The Salvation Army of Central Indiana. “We hope these families can sense this Presence in their lives, a comfort available to them amidst the hardships they endure.”
The Salvation Army of Central Indiana always needs volunteers during the holiday season, especially for the Angel Tree Toy Shop. Visit SAcentralindiana.org to learn more about these volunteer opportunities.