ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – With fewer than five days left, 200 Salvation Army “angels” in Abilene are still waiting to be “adopted” this holiday season. Will you answer the call?
“We still have angel tags hanging on the Angel Trees and are praying all will be taken by the last day for adoption on Friday, December 6,” said Captain Rachel McKain of The Salvation Army of Abilene. “We often see a late rush in adoptions and have staff and volunteers ready at the Angel Trees ready to help those who would like to take an angel and provide Christmas for a child in need.”
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Every year, the nonprofit organization hosts a drive for families in need, and for 20 of those years, one Abilene woman has been a dedicated volunteer. Toi Kiser began adopting angels as a way to teach her daughter about the importance of giving back, and now she looks forward to this rewarding experience every year.
“We started out with a couple of families and it became our family tradition. Every year, we look forward to Angel Tree kids coming out. Sometimes I even bother. Is it time? Is it time? It’s like Christmas morning to me,” Kiser said.
This year, Kiser is helping 25 angels, making them homemade blankets and giving them matching pajamas. She told KTAB/KRBC it’s not just about helping the child. It is also about helping the parents.
“We know that you can help someone take some burden off the moms somehow. Christmas for kids will be provided for, but nobody thinks of the parents and how they go through things of not being able to give that joy to their kids,” Kiser said.
Zulma Cintron came to Abilene in March with nothing but her daughter and three kids. After arriving, the Salvation Army took her in, helping her recently find her own place, and thanks to the Angel Tree, Christmas came early, and their apartment was fully furnished with the kids having beds and dressers. Cintron said she is grateful for the Abilene community, one she has not seen anything like before.
“It was a good feeling because where we come from, that doesn’t happen much too often. So coming here to Abilene has been really good to us,” Cintron said. “When we first got here, we didn’t know what was going to go on. We didn’t have anything permanent.”
To “adopt an angel,” choose a tag from the Salvation Army Angel Trees located around town. Once all the gifts have been purchased, you can drop them off at the following locations: Walmart, Drug Emporium, the Mall of Abilene, Old Navy, and HteaO. If you want to support but don’t have time to shop, you can also make a purchase online through the Walmart Angel Tree registry.
“No child registered to our program will go without gifts. We always make arrangements at The Salvation Army to provide presents for the forgotten angels, which are those tags that are unfortunately left hanging on the trees,” said McKain. “The Walmart Gift registry is a great way for people to help us fill all angel requests without having to physically go to the store, select an angel, and shop for toys. We are so thankful to Walmart for the many ways they support The Salvation Army at Christmas.”
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Once all donations are collected, volunteers will prepare for distribution days on December 13-14, when about 775 children’s gifts will be picked up by families.
“Our community of donors, partners and volunteers is what keeps The Salvation Army Angel Tree program alive year after year,” said McKain. “Your kindness and generosity mean that every child registered on the Angel Tree program has a gift to open on Christmas morning, and parents don’t have to decide between paying bills or buying toys. Please help today by adopting an angel.”
The Salvation Army still needs volunteers for the Angel Tree Program. Those interested can call Andre Gwinn at 325-677-1408 or email Andre.Gwinn@uss.salvationarmy.org for details on how to get involved.
