The Salvation Army Angel Trees Need You ASAP

Let’s get really real…2020 has been a dumpster fire of a year. Even if the impact on your life has been minimal, it has affected EVERYTHING...like Angel Trees. The Angel Trees are the trees, in previous years, you would have seen in stores with tags that represent the gift need and wishes of kids in the Central Maine area.

We are just coming off of the WILDLY successful and painfully necessary Camp Out Hunger 2020. You donated about $18,000 for area food banks, and about $120,000 worth of food was donated to the food pantry at the Capital Region Salvation Army. YOU did that…we just gave you an easy way to help…and help you did.

But Christmas time is coming. We have a full pantry at the Capital Region Salvation Army…now…it is time to think about the kids.

COVID-19 and the changes it has caused for workplaces is affecting how the need for toys will be filled. People are working from home, and fewer places are open even to host an Angel Tree…so…what to do…what to do?

There is a lot to do. First and foremost…just like with Camp Out Hunger 2020, you have to be aware of the need. Yes…there is a need...there you are aware. Second…and just like Camp Out Hunger 2020, there are super easy ways to meet the need in ways that fit what you can give. Here is that information...

Walmart has stepped up and had a special Angel Tree effort. They’ve set up a unique website … www.walmartangeltree.com …where people can go online, enter their zip code, and then click on the local Salvation Army; in this case, it is Salvation Army Augusta (Capital Region), and they serve the Augusta and Waterville area. You will be taken to the Salvation Army’s Christmas Angel Tree registry. (It is different for each Salvation Army location, based on their needs for their little angles) Then shop!. I sorted the list by cost, and the price starts around $5. You select the toy(s) or clothing that you want to donate to the registry. When you go to the shopping cart, the shipping address is pre-filled with the local Salvation Army address, and Walmart pays for the shipping. It’s effortless! This list was created with gift items that kids in Central Maine have asked requested!

If you are doing some in-person shopping at Walmart, you are very welcome to shop and drop your gifts off in the Angle Tree basket at the front of the store.

The Salvation Army also has the ‘Adopt-A-Family’ program. Adopting a family involves taking an entire family’s wish list and providing gifts for each family member. Some folks who adopt also provide a food basket. In previous year this has been big with workplaces. BUT with many work sites shutdown or with limited staff…this effort is a bit of commitment to make it work. But it can be done! Here is all the contact info...please leave a message or make it clear in you subject line of an email you want to adopt a family.

Please don’t let COVID-19 crush your spirit of the season. The kids of Central Maine need you…after this year…every kid deserves a special gift or two under the tree on Christmas morning.