The director of the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program for Limestone, Morgan and Lawrence counties says she was astounded by the generosity of the Athens community this year.

Found in local stores, businesses and churches, Angel Trees are decorated with numbered paper angel tags that bear the first name, age and gender of a child in need of gifts. Contributors remove one or more tags from the tree and purchase the requested items.

In all, 364 Limestone County residents benefited from the program this year, mostly children.

Founded in 1979 by a Lynchburg, Virginia, couple who started placing cards containing the names of needy children on the Christmas tree at their local mall, the Angel Tree program has since grown to include the elderly, whose names and wishlists appear on golden angel tags.

Locally, Angel Trees could be found at Walmart in Athens, Champion Chevrolet, Brody Jackson State Farm Insurance Agency, Innovative Health Solutions, First United Methodist Church in Athens, Berea Baptist Church, Shape Corp. and Athens State University.

Having recently transferred to the Salvation Army of Decatur from St. Charles, Louisiana, Lt. Donna

Watts said she wasn’t quite sure what to expect this season.

Boundless generosity

“I was amazed by the generosity we found here,” she said. “The people, churches and organizations in this community went above and beyond my expectations for the program.”

At one point, sponsors were plucking angel tags off the trees so quickly she had trouble keeping the trees stocked with tags.

“It was to the point that we would take them more angels for their trees and they would already be asking us for more,” Watts said. “The willingness of people to step up and help people who they don’t even know have Christmas is overwhelming.

Not only was the Salvation Army able to help all of the families who qualified for the program, Watts said donors gave generously to each recipient.

Watts looks at both income and expenses when determining who qualifies for the program.

“We don’t just base our help on whether or not an applicant falls below the federal poverty level,” she said. “You may be middle class and have a decent job, but by the time you pay all your bills, there’s not much left to do anything for the kids for Christmas.”

“It’s about helping make ends meet, and making Christmas magical for someone else,” she said.

The big day

On Wednesday, Watts and a team of Salvation Army volunteers and employees spent the better part of the morning handing out bags stuffed with gifts to grateful parents. Steve Hobbs, owner of Hobbs Jewelers in Athens, provided the Salvation Army with a place to both store and distribute the gifts this season.

In addition to the new presents, each family received a food box filled with a fresh chicken and Christmas dinner fixings.

Although Watts said she counts this year’s Angel Tree program as a success, she’s already looking toward next year when they will need volunteers to help pack, organize and distribute a new round of Angel Tree gifts.

Call 256-353-2822 to learn more about the volunteer opportunities at the Salvation Army.