The Salvation Army Angel Tree Brings Joy to Thousands of Children
The Salvation Army’s annual Angel Tree program brings joy to thousands of young people and their families each Christmas. Serving families since 1979, it is one of The Salvation Army’s highest profile Christmas efforts.
In the 2022 holiday season, 5,303 Angels were adopted in the St. Louis area – a 33% increase from last year. An additional 8,500 Angels were adopted in the Bi-State region, and 2,300 families were served.
Midland States Bank served as the corporate sponsor of the 2022 Angel Tree program, helping The Salvation Army continue Angel Tree, that involves a great deal of kindness from the people in our community, who “adopt” Angels and donate gifts and toys for thousands of children.
More than 560 volunteers donated 2,455 hours in November and December to help with the distribution of goods to participating families.
From Dec. 13- 15, The Salvation Army’s Distribution Center on Saint Charles Rock Road in St. Ann was bustling with people picking up gifts for their children and volunteers locating and loading them.
"Angel Tree is my favorite program of The Salvation Army. It envelops so many people for one good cause - to bring hope to those in need. The families that register to receive gifts for their children, the donors who adopt the angels and buy gifts, the volunteers help with the logistics, our staff who coordinate it all, every one of these people provide an opportunity for us to share hope, kindness and to remind the community how much God loves them. Our prayer on Christmas morning is that the children not only get excited about their gifts, but that they are reminded of Jesus whole we celebrate at this Christmas season," said Lt. Col. Collette Webster of The Salvation Army.
Angel Trees were located throughout St. Louis at many businesses, organizations, and community groups, where individuals could adopt an Angel directly from the tree. Participants also adopted Angels directly from The Salvation Army’s website.
One of the most prominent organizations that keeps Angel Tree going every year is Schnucks Markets. Their employees provided 320 volunteer hours to pack and distribute thousands of toys and gifts for the Angels.
“It’s very important for us to be here because Schnucks was founded more than 80 years ago with the mission to nourishing people’s lives. Part of that mission is showing up for our communities and giving back to those in need. The Salvation Army is a great partner in this, and we, and the community as a whole, appreciate the tireless work of The Salvation Army," said Schron Jackson, Director of Community Engagement & Customer Care, Schnuck Markets, Inc.
Volunteers came from organizations located throughout Greater St. Louis, but they also came from outside the local area with organizations encouraging colleagues from far and wide to support the Angel Tree initiative.
“It warms my heart so much to know that we are helping to do good for the children and families in our communities. I’m based in Texas but have come here to St. Louis to help my colleagues to support Angel Tree. Being part of this experience is incredibly important for my colleagues and for me. Giving back to our communities, sharing kindness and compassion, that is what community is all about,” said Dana O’Brien, Senior Vice President of Olin Business School.
More than three thousand families also received support from The Salvation Army’s General Holiday Assistance program that occurs concurrently with Angel Tree, that provides holiday meals to families during the Christmas season who may not qualify for Angel Tree .
The Salvation Army also has the Adopt-A-Family program, that assisted 116 families during the holiday season, who have experienced a major crisis in the past 12 months. These families need more extensive support, beyond just toys and clothing. Generous donors adopt these families during Christmas and help the families return to stability.
We thank the many individuals, groups and companies who gave their incredible support to Angel Tree, that helps bring joy to thousands of children and their families: AAA, Brand Addition, Cushman Wakefield, Charles Schwab, Christian Outreach School, David Ruth CPA, Deca Property Management, Edward Jones, Enterprise, Knights of Columbus, Magellan Health, MAI Capital Management, Mastercard, North Inc., Olin Business School, One Space, Opus Group, Royal Canin, Schnucks, Southeast Toyota, United Way, United Young Leaders, United Way Leadership Society, US Bank, Wells Fargo, World Wide Technology.
Our thanks to everyone in our communities who generously supported The Salvation Army’s programs and services in 2022. Our work now continues in 2023. Your kindness changes the lives of so many people in our communities, and we thank you for your support.