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<\/p>\nEvery holiday season, the Salvation Army Clearwater & Upper Pinellas County is busy collecting gifts for children. This year was no different.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There were more Angel Tree program gift requests this season than in the past few years, said the organization\u2019s director of social services Jilliann Perez.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The agency was able to serve 1,951 children. Additionally, it did not have to reject any requests from qualified families.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In comparison, the organization collected gifts for 1,677 children last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Angel Tree program, established by the Salvation Army in the late 1970s, gives individuals and companies the ability to purchase gifts for families in need.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Each tree has a number of tags, which include a child\u2019s name, three gift wishes and their clothing sizes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Participants can visit locations throughout the county, including Achieva Credit Union institutions and Walmart stores to find a tree, she explained. Business owners can also put a tree in their offices to collect donations. Individuals can \u201cadopt\u201d a child online as well and receive their requests.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Qualified families must live in the Salvation Army Clearwater & Upper Pinellas County\u2019s service area. Additionally, they have to prove that they have custody of the child. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The children, who are between the ages of 0 and 12, receive gift bags with at least three \u201csubstantial\u201d gifts, Perez added. Often, they request items such as bicycles, scooters, art kits and toy race cars.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Bicycles collected for the Salvation Army Clearwater & Upper Pinellas County\u2019s Angel Tree program.<\/p>\n
The number of gifts each child receives depends on the donor. Some participants purchase all three requests and more, she explained. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI noticed that Angel Tree went kinda viral on TikTok with influencers this year and I feel like it brought in so many more people dropping off gifts to us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The collections for this season were distributed last week.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile we\u2019re doing the distribution, we meet our clients and see how happy they are,\u201d Perez said. \u201cWe see mothers and fathers who are just so relieved that they are able to give items to their children for Christmas. It\u2019s important because it takes that burden off of the parents\u2019 shoulders.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Salvation Army Clearwater & Upper Pinellas County commanding officer Major Ted Morris added that the nonprofit has participated in the Angel Tree program for at least a decade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that this year has been particularly kind of a challenge for a lot of families,\u201d he said, \u201dand what we don\u2019t want families to have to do is choose between groceries and Christmas gifts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The organization has a similar initiative for senior citizens \u2013 the Silver Bells program. It works in the same way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To qualify, seniors must be at least 65 years old. Additionally, they need to prove residency. Their tags are placed on trees, often alongside the children\u2019s tags. Elders can be \u201cadopted\u201d online as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This season, the nonprofit collected gifts for 305 seniors \u2013 53 more than last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Salvation Army ensures that elderly participants also receive at least three gifts. Frequently, they ask for items such as microwaves and air fryers, Perez explained. These are products that can make their lives a bit easier, but may be difficult to afford on a fixed income. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of them do not receive Christmas presents,\u201d she said. \u201cThis allows them to also have a little Christmas cheer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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