Salvation Army’s Angel Tree campaign helps 806 children

Year after year, the Salvation Army of Ocala/Marion County’s Angel Tree Campaign helps hundreds of area children wake up on Christmas morning with presents under their tree.

This year, the branch collected enough donations from Angel Tree givers to help 806 children, from 347 families, have the Christmas cheer they deserve, despite their families’ financial circumstances.

“We’ve heard stories about how they would not be able to get their kids gifts if it hadn’t been for Salvation Army,” said Director of Social Services Corps Rebecca Reynolds.

“We vet anybody in Marion County who is listed as financially challenged or lower income, then we are able to serve them,” Reynolds said. “When they come in, they get a code and they go and fill out the application online, then we vet them from there.”

For all the families who are approved, the Salvation Army prints out tags for boys and girls with what they want for Christmas, which get hung on Christmas trees all over town. Reynolds said the trees are set up at a number of businesses, stores, restaurants and other locations for people to choose a family to help out during the holiday season.

When all of the donations were collected, the Salvation Army team distributed the gifts to the 806 children in need.

“I saw a lot of tears with families. I saw a lot of tears with parents when they saw the bags that were received,” Reynolds said. “They’re just so grateful for what the community has done with Salvation Army.”

While many of the donations are toys, like you’d expect, some are basic human necessities that are priceless to a child in need, Reynolds said.

“A little girl had asked for glasses, and somebody went and set that up for her and paid for that, for her to see,” Reynolds said. “Went to an optometrist to get her prescription and pay for the glasses…this is a need, and it just goes above and beyond.”

Another Angel Tree recipient will be able to rest easy this holiday season, thanks to a donor.

“There was a child who needed a special bed and that was donated by a law firm, but that law firm got every other single item on all their tags, too,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds said the experience of helping to make sure every child has a good Christmas makes all of the hard work worth it for her.

“For me, it is the ability to meet a need. It allows me to know that what I have been called to do has purpose and is valued by those we serve,” she said. “To be able to give people something they would not be able to attain makes it worth it.”

For some givers, donating to Salvation Army’s Angel Tree took them full circle this Christmas.One man decided to give back to the community after being an Angel Tree recipient when he was a child.

“One gentleman in particular said, ‘I had the best Christmas when Salvation Army helped my family,’ and he came back to give gifts this year for somebody because he works now,” Reynolds said. “He was able to donate for several children himself, but he was a recipient of Angel Tree when he was young.”