CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – It is that wonderful time of year again.
The Salvation Army is asking for the community’s help at the Angel Tree Warehouse to make sure every child wakes up to a gift under their tree this Christmas.
Major Douglas McClure, Area Commander for The Salvation Army in Greater Chattanooga, says the need is great and the community’s support is essential.
“My wife was an Angel Tree kid. She was one that got help from one of these programs when she was a child. So, you can imagine she is there at the warehouse right now. She has been there since before Thanksgiving, and she will be working right up to the day of distribution to make sure that things are done.
So, I want to make sure that she has the help she needs to make sure all those families are taken care of.”
The Angel Tree Warehouse is where volunteers sort, organize, and prepare gifts purchased by community members before they are delivered to families in need.
McClure explains how the process starts with the familiar Angel Tree tags seen across the community.
“So, you will see a tree at your local stores and at the malls. You pick up the Angel Tree tag, and you go and purchase those items.
All those items are brought back to a warehouse, and then we need all kinds of people to help process these gifts. We need to make sure the right bag gets to the right family and that all the right things are inside that bag. We want to make sure that family gets what they need for Christmas. With the whole process being so large, the Angel Tree Warehouse gives us the ability to bring people in and make sure all these families are taken care of.”
More than two thousand five hundred angels in the Chattanooga area need to be processed and prepared for distribution, which takes place in just a little over two weeks.
Volunteers are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes, warm layers, and be prepared for walking, light lifting, and teamwork throughout the warehouse.
McClure says the program relies on the same spirit of teamwork that brings Christmas to life every year.
“Just like Santa Claus has a lot of elves, it takes a lot of people to make Christmas happen here at The Salvation Army. We need people to adopt the gifts and bring them to the Angel Tree, and we also need people to help pack those bags. You can be both of those people if you would like to, but we definitely need both groups to come together to make Christmas happen for all these families.”
With enough volunteers joining the effort, The Salvation Army hopes to make this Christmas bright for every family counting on the Angel Tree program.
All children who volunteer must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Click here if you would like to sign up to volunteer.
