Volunteers with the Salvation Army worked to ensure that nearly 1,000 children have a merry Christmas through the group’s Angel Tree gift distribution Thursday. The Grayson County chapter distributed gifts of food, clothing and toys that were collected throughout the community this fall for those in most need.
Each year, the Salvation Army places out trees decorated with small paper angels that list the wants and needs of hundreds of children across the community and asks individuals and organizations to collect the presents for these families.
“We are giving out gifts to children in our community — to the parents, really — in our community, to take home and wrap and put under the Christmas tree,” Salvation Army Capt. Amanda Cain said. “It’s so those children that may not have anything for Christmas have something under for Christmas have something under the tree this year.”
This year saw an increase in the scope of the annual campaign as the local chapter expanded its reach to include Fannin and Cooke Counties. While this increased the demand by another 100 families, Cain said she has seen increasing need and demand for the program.
Early Thursday morning, volunteers began to walk the aisles of the converted storefront on Armstrong in Denison that the Salvation Army uses for the distribution. The volunteers worked quickly to move hundreds of bags of donated items toward dozens of parents that were eagarly waiting.
Among the volunteers at work was Winona Campbell, who took the day off from work with Cigna in order to volunteer. Her employer gives each employee 8 hours of paid time each year in order to volunteer in the community.
“I like being able to make a difference in somebody’s life,” Campbell said. “If you can touch just one person by being here and helping each year, then that’s worth it.”
As she pushed a cart of gifts toward the front, Campbell put herself in the shoes of the parents who turned to the Salvation Army this year to ensure their children had something under the tree this year.
“I feel very blessed to be able to do this,” she said. “At one point in my life, I could have been that person sitting out there, receiving the help. Now, I’m at a point where I can be the person who is helping bless somebody else.”
This year, Cain said Lilo & Stitch were in high demand with many young girls while Barbie remained a perennial favorite. Many of the boys were requesting video game consoles and Sonic the Hedgehog.
For the younger crowd, Bluey was a near universal pick, she added.
Beyond toys, Cain said there was a concerted effort to provide the children with clothes and shoes this year.
“We’ve also seen our community step up and a lot of these children are getting almost a full new wardrobe,” she said. “Some of these children are getting anywhere from three to seven outfits a piece.”
In addition to the other gifts, each family also received a bag of groceries and food for the holiday season. Much of the food was raised during the Bob Skaggs Memorial Food Drive in November. Ruiz Foods and Tyson also donated hams and nearly 1,000 Cornish hens to distribute to the families.
For Cain, it is important to ensure the children are able to find joy under the Christmas tree among the other gifts. While she is one of the volunteers this year, she said that joy is what she is taking home from the distribution this year.
“I think its the joy that it brings to your hearts — that is why I personally love doing this,” she said. “It is because of that joy and the love that is felt. For a child to know about traditional Christmas and then not receive a traditional Christmas, there is confusion in their hearts and minds. For me, them receiving a gift is not just having a toy; it is to receive the love and joy that Christmas brings.”
