TEMPLE, Texas — The Salvation Army is known for giving to the community, but now, the Salvation Army of Bell County is in need of a helping hand from its community.
The Salvation Army is in need of a warehouse space for its Angel Tree toy distribution program and is asking for help from businesses in the area.
“We have been working for a number of weeks on several spaces for our Angel Tree but unfortunately nothing has panned out,” said Lt. Cynthia Ard with The Salvation Army of Bell County. “Our facility on Avenue G just doesn’t have the required space and we are appealing to the community to help. We are seeking a working space for the Angel Tree available for immediate occupancy for only two weeks. We can be out of there by Dec. 20 after our distribution on Dec. 18.”
Through the Angel Tree program, children and seniors can be registered and their Christmas list shared with community members, who can "adopt" the child and purchase gifts for them like toys and clothing. The gifts are distributed to the families for the holidays. Angel Tree tags include the child's name, age, size, specific needs and Christmas wishes.
More on the Angel Tree program can be found at this link.
“We’ve seen an incredible response from the community this holiday season, with more than 900 angels being adopted and now we need a space to organize and distribute the gifts to families on Wednesday, Dec. 18,” said Ard. “Ideally, we’re looking for somewhere between 7,500 and 10,000 square feet, with power and working bathrooms. Please call me at 254-774-9996 or email Cynthia.Ard@uss.salvationarmy.org. We are praying that someone will step up and provide the needed space for our Angel Tree.”
The Salvation Army is also still looking for volunteers to help with the Angel Tree program or to ring the bells at its red kettles. For details on how to get involved with the Angel Tree, call Marcine Chambers at 254-774-9996 or email Marcine.Chambers@uss.salvationarmy.org.
To register to ring the bell, visit www.RegistertoRing.com.
For more information on the Salvation Army of Bell County, including other ways to get involved, visit www.salvationarmybellcounty.org or call 254-774-9996.