Besides seeking bell-ringers to work at donation kettles, the Salvation Army this year is recruiting families, businesses and groups to “adopt a family” during the holiday season.
Lt. David Kyle said his church would put up the traditional “Angel Trees” at Howsers, Olerud’s and Alaska Rod’s, a program by which residents purchase gifts for needy children.
Kyle this year is putting added emphasis on the “adoption” program, which spreads contributions and giving across a wider segment of the community.
In adopting a family, a group can choose what size family they’d like to provide for as well as how much they’d like to give. A donor family can provide food and gifts, he said. A Christmas food box costs $45, or a family or organization can make the food themselves, he said.
The Salvation Army provides information on what a recipient family needs. “You get those gifts. You can wrap them up and the whole nine yards. You deliver them here (to the Salvation Army) and we get them to our clients.”
Under the Angel Tree program, tags on trees specify a toy for a youth of a certain age. Participants purchase a toy and drop them off in a waterproof bag at the Salvation Army Church at Fourth Avenue and Union Street.
Families or individuals wishing to receive Angel Tree gifts or food boxes need to stop by Salvation Army before Dec. 10. Office hours are 1 to 4:30 p.m. daily. “If they want to come in during church, I’ll take their application during church, too.”
Kyle this week was putting together 48 Thanksgiving food boxes, including turkeys. “Within a week we’ll have all of those gone.”
Similar boxes will be available at Christmas, he said. “It’s a complete meal. The only things not in there are cookware and salt, pepper and marshmallows.”
Kyle said he’s still looking for volunteers to ring the bell at holiday kettles around town. For more information, call him at 303-2355.