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As Christmas approaches, the Salvation Army has kicked off its holiday charity efforts. In addition to the Kettle Bell campaign, the organization is also accepting donations for its Angel Tree program. There are three Angel Trees set up around the community: one at the Bean Cafe, one at Bainbridge Church, and one at the Salvation Army itself. This year there are roughly 200 kids in need of donations with the program, a big increase from last year, with ages ranging from newborn to 12 years old.

Each Angel Tree has tags that give a brief description of the child (age, gender, clothing sizes and Christmas wishes). “This year, we have an abundance of applications that are not asking for a lot of toys,” Salvation Army director Merreann McDonald said, “but for basic clothing items, coats and shoes.”

This is different from previous years, where there were more requests for toys. “In all years, past, a lot of times there’s a lot of ask for toys, and one of the things we’ve tried to do in the last few years is provide them with the fun stuff… and we also want to make sure every child gets a new pair of shoes and a new outfit every year,” McDonald explained.

The deadline is fast approaching for anyone willing to provide for one of these children, with presents due next Friday, December 15. They will be distributed to families on December 21. “We have a need for people to make a call and get these Angels adopted as quickly as possible,” McDonald concluded. “They can call our office, we can do it over the phone, or they can stop by and look at the tags themselves.”