‘Adopt an Angel’ returning

Beginning in just a few weeks, Family and Children’s Services here once again will be launching its “Adopt An Angel” program to help make Christmas special for children in need.
And they are encouraging residents of Rainy River District to purchase gifts which will be distributed to local children who may not receive many presents this holiday season.
“These gifts will be for children living anywhere from Rainy River to Atikokan,” noted Jacquee Loerzel, children’s mental health co-ordinator for FACS.
“They include foster children and other children involved in the agency whose families could use a little extra at Christmas,” she added.
Loerzel noted the “Adopt An Angel” trees will be located at three different stores—Wal-Mart, Taggs Source for Sports, and Tompkins Hardware in Emo—and will have more than 100 angels on them for people to choose.
Loerzel said there’s a wide variety of children to buy for, and that people can spend whatever amount they feel they can give.
She noted the program works as follows:
•Pick an angel from the tree (each angel has a pretend name of a child on it, as well as their age and gender).
•Each child will have identified what they would like for Christmas on their angel (this item is to be purchased at one of the three stores).
•When you have picked out your angel’s items, bring them to the cash register and identify that you’ll be purchasing a gift for the angel you’ve selected.
•The cashier will complete your purchase and place the angel and gift into a shopping bag, then place the bag in a safe area to be picked up later by a FACS worker.
•The gifts will be delivered to the children in time for Christmas.
“We’ve had an excellent response. The community has been just fabulous,” Loerzel enthused, noting this will be the fifth year for the program.
“Everyone has received a gift in the past. We haven’t had leftovers yet—my fingers are always crossed.”
And Loerzel hopes this year is no different.
“Kids are our greatest assets,” she stressed. “This is one of those charities that is local. So when you’re donating and giving to this program, you’re actually giving to the kids in your very own community.”
Anyone with questions about the “Adopt An Angel” program can contact Loerzel at 274-7787.