Angel Tree program thriving this season

Every holiday season, the Salvation Army Clearwater & Upper Pinellas County is busy collecting gifts for children. This year was no different. 

There were more Angel Tree program gift requests this season than in the past few years, said the organization’s director of social services Jilliann Perez. 

The agency was able to serve 1,951 children. Additionally, it did not have to reject any requests from qualified families. 

In comparison, the organization collected gifts for 1,677 children last year. 

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. 

Each tree has a number of tags, which include a child’s name, three gift wishes and their clothing sizes. 

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 “adopt” a child online as well and receive their requests.  

Qualified families must live in the Salvation Army Clearwater & Upper Pinellas County’s service area. Additionally, they have to prove that they have custody of the child.  

The children, who are between the ages of 0 and 12, receive gift bags with at least three “substantial” gifts, Perez added. Often, they request items such as bicycles, scooters, art kits and toy race cars. 

Bicycles collected for the Salvation Army Clearwater & Upper Pinellas County’s Angel Tree program.

The number of gifts each child receives depends on the donor. Some participants purchase all three requests and more, she explained.  

“I 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.” 

The collections for this season were distributed last week.  

“While we’re doing the distribution, we meet our clients and see how happy they are,” Perez said. “We see mothers and fathers who are just so relieved that they are able to give items to their children for Christmas. It’s important because it takes that burden off of the parents’ shoulders.” 

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. 

“We know that this year has been particularly kind of a challenge for a lot of families,” he said, ”and what we don’t want families to have to do is choose between groceries and Christmas gifts.” 

The organization has a similar initiative for senior citizens – the Silver Bells program. It works in the same way. 

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’s tags. Elders can be “adopted” online as well. 

This season, the nonprofit collected gifts for 305 seniors – 53 more than last year. 

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.  

“Many of them do not receive Christmas presents,” she said. “This allows them to also have a little Christmas cheer.”