Peggy Revell
This weekend is the last chance to participate in the “Adopt-an-Angel” program as it wraps up for another Christmas season on Sunday (Dec. 14).
Run by Family & Children’s Services here, the program gets the public to play “Santa” to children in need from across the district.
“Things have gone really, really well. We’re looking at finishing up another successful year,” said organizer Jacquee Loerzel from FACS. “All the donations have been wonderful and very generous.”
This year, 150 “angels” were up for adoption—children who are involved with FACS, through such things as foster care, or if they are from low-income families where a little bit of help is needed to make the holidays a brighter time.
“Adopt-an-Angel” Christmas trees are set up at Wal-Mart here and at Tompkins Hardware in Emo. Angel ornaments on the tree represent one of these children, with a pseudonym, their age, gender, and the things they would like for Christmas.
Participants can select one these ornaments, shop for them, and then when checking out of the store, notify the cashier, who will put aside the present(s) so they can be picked up and delivered to the respective families.
“There’s a few more ‘angels’ left at Wal-Mart, so we’re looking at another big push this weekend,” noted Loerzel. “So we’re hoping that people go in and pick up the last angels there so that we can get all these gifts for these kids.”
Monetary donations also are warmly welcomed, added Loerzel.
And even if all the angels have been adopted, such as at Tompkins Hardware, she encourages people to still pick up a gift to donate to “top up” some gifts, or for use next year.
