LEE COUNTY
The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program is struggling to find people to volunteer, but the holidays are quickly arriving, and they need help.
There are 13 shopping days until Christmas, but on the Salvation Army’s calendar, there’s only one left.
Boxes and gifts. CREDIT: WINK News
By Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., the Salvation Army needs people to adopt the remaining 500 or so angels and to make sure their Christmas wishes come true.
“No child forgotten is our goal this year for Christmas, no child forgotten,” Lee county area commander Major Charlotte Gargis said.
Hurricane Ian damaged the Salvation Army’s Christmas clearing house.
So volunteers are scrambling to help storm victims and their Christmas angels.
But to make this happen, it will require a lot of last-minute help.
“What a great feeling it is to be able to do something like this for the community at Christmas time, especially when there’s a big need. And I thought, well, maybe this year is my time to do it,” Lynn Pedderson, a new volunteer for Angel Tree, said.
WINK News asked what the Salvation Army needs the most.
“It would be great to see more clothing shoes that necessarily the children aren’t that thrilled with, but their parents certainly are. We have a lot of toys,” Marie Martin, an Angel Tre volunteer for eight years, said.
Rows of gifts from the Salvation Army. CREDIT: WINK News
“Bicycles also, we need more shoes for the children, but that seems to be on their list, and we haven’t been able to fulfill that as much as we’d like to more clothes. Again, the kids aren’t thrilled with the clothes, but they’re necessary,” Pederson said.
Click here to see how you can help the Salvation Army.
WINK NEWS