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Monday, December 10, 2012

Salvation Army Houston Angel Tree



I got the chance to visit a very special~secret~place this weekend.  Where there is alot of Christmas cheer and magic happening.  I was so amazed at all the wonderful people and all their work being done.  Where do you think I was?  Well I will give you a hint, there were gifts, and lots of them, there were elfs, and lots of them too, and it was a big, huge place?

I was invited to tour the Salvation Army's secret warehouse where all the magic of the Angel Tree happens. 

What is The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program?
For over 123 years, The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program has provided Christmas assistance for disadvantaged children and senior citizens in the greater Houston area. Through the Angel Tree program, donors can become personally involved because they are able to choose a specific child or senior to help. Last year, we were able to provide gifts to 30,074 children and seniors in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend counties. Once a child or senior has been registered as an “Angel, The Salvation Army makes a promise that we will provide Christmas for that individual. The promise includes a variety of gifts for each child or senior. In order to accomplish this, The Salvation Army depends on the generosity of individual donors, corporations and organizations. Last year, 165 companies and organizations helped fulfill the gift requests of over 10,000 Angels.  The remaining Angels were adopted from our Mall Angel Trees and also filled by volunteers at our Santa’s Secret Warehouse.
Here is a sneak peek at the secret warehouse:

Step 1-Donate in this bins.  They are everywhere at Randalls, KHOU, Mac Haik, GEXA, and IHOP

 Step 2.  Your donations are brought here.  But you see all this empty space.  They need more donations.  There are alot of empty bins.  There are alot more people that need help this year.


 Who can help?  Everyone.  Even my Lil Bit.  My kids were with me and they saw how this process works.  My daughter pushed the shopping cart, and my son found the items needed for our 2 people.  We found the items from their wish list, stocking stuffers, and toiletries.  But sometimes, the Salvation Army does not have the items from the wishlist or there are empy bins, what happens?  This is where you and I come in....

How do I sign up to host an Angel Tree?
If you would like to host an Angel Tree at your workplace, school or church, simply fill out a Corporate Angel Tree registration form and turn it in by October 12. On the form, you can indicate how many Angels you would like to adopt and also select one of four training sessions available for you to attend. Once you have registered and receive your Angel Tree toolkit complete with your Angel tags, you will be ready to start your program.
For more information please contact Monica Santillan, Corporate Relations and Volunteer Projects Manager, at 832-201-8018 or Monica_Santillan@uss.salvationarmy.org.

***Disclosure-No compensation was received.  Thanks to the Salvation Army for opening their secret warehouse and hosting us.  I was able to show my kids how to help others.  Volunteering is a fund free way to give to others.  My family and I try to volunteer as much as we can, and we support causes such as this.




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