TULSA, Okla. — The Salvation Army's Angel Tree program is in full swing this Giving Tuesday, but volunteers say they desperately need more toys and gifts for children ages 8 to 12 years old.
In Tulsa alone, there are over 5,000 angels who rely on community members to help give them a Christmas. The Area Command has received about half, around 2,000, of the angels that were adopted from trees at various locations.
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Still, Major Carlyle Gargis says they're facing a significant shortage of middle-aged children.
"Right now we're kind of in a crunch right now, with the 8- to 12-year-old children, we have quite a few of those, and we're not having the gifts that would fit that age group," Gargis said.
At the Area Command, volunteers are working in what they call "Santa's Workshop," putting each angel with their family's gift bag before delivery.
But Gargis says each year, around 10 to 15% of the angels who were picked from the tree are never returned, leaving the command center to fill those bags with bulk gifts.
Gargis says that at a time like this, a revolving door of giving has opened other doors for those angels.
"For so many folks that shop for angels at one time, they were on the Salvation Army angel tree, and if it wasn't for the Salvation Army, their family would have never had Christmas, and so it's just really good, it's a cycle of good," Gargis said.
Angel Tree has been around since 1982, giving over a million kids a Christmas every year.
For Gargis, he and his family adopted angels before he got involved with the Salvation Army, and now the tradition has gone down to his grandchildren.
“We would take our daughter, and we would go, and we have adopted angels and purchase those uh angels, we would fill them and bring them to the Salvation Army. It was just a part of how we wanted our family to live and to share and to raise our daughter,” Gargis said. “With those kinds of thoughts and attitudes, and of course, today she takes our grandchildren to adopt an angel and to shop for those in their city. So, it has become a family tradition and of course, for so many folks that shop for angels.”
The Salvation Army would like to have gifts for all ages filled by December 10, which is also the deadline to return adopted angels.
Community members can drop off toys for children ages 8 to 12, or any age as well, at the Area Command location at 924 S Hudson or at Woodland Hills Mall outside of Macy's. Those who don't see angels available on trees at different locations can still help by donating age-appropriate toys and gadgets.
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