About the
Sarasota County Angel Tree

Last year Angel Tree ensured 1,980 children in our community woke up to gifts on Christmas Morning.

If you can be the reason someone smiles this Christmas—why wouldn’t you?

Every child should know the thrill of opening a gift on Christmas, despite the struggles they face.

Making a difference in your community…

Beyond gifts, Angel Tree delivers hope, dignity & connection—touching hearts and spirits.

Last Year 1,980 Children and 524 Senior Angels were served in Sarasota County.

Angel Trees are on-site in local businesses, churches and organizations.

Salvation Army Angel Tree volunteers devote millions of hours of their time each year.

Learn how The Salvation Army Angel Tree program and its donors help millions of parents and children in need celebrate Christmas.


	This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 2 Corinthians 9:12

How Angel Tree Works

1

Community partners and schools refer families to The Salvation Army for help with Christmas. Participants are interviewed to verify that the family is truly in need.

2

We obtain the name of each child or special needs adults in the family and a list of desired Christmas gifts. We work with local agencies to ensure each family receives the right support without overlap.

3

Angel tags are printed for each individual and placed on Salvation Army Angel Trees at area malls and in local businesses and organizations.

4

Generous Donors select Angels, purchase gifts, and return them to the Angel Tree by the given deadline on each tag.

5

Upon their return, the gifts are taken to a Salvation Army Christmas Distribution Center for pickup by the Angel families.

6

During the seven days prior to Christmas Eve, families pick up their gifts.

3

Angel tags are printed for each individual and placed on Salvation Army Angel Trees at area malls and in local businesses and organizations.

4

Generous Donors select Angels, purchase gifts, and return them to the Angel Tree by the given deadline on each tag.

5

Upon their return, the gifts are taken to a Salvation Army Christmas Distribution Center for pickup by the Angel families.

6

During the seven days prior to Christmas Eve, families pick up their gifts.

5

Upon their return, the gifts are taken to a Salvation Army Christmas Distribution Center for pickup by the Angel families.

6

During the seven days prior to Christmas Eve, families pick up their gifts.

A History Of Community Involvement

Along with the familiar Red Kettles, the Angel Tree program is one of The Salvation Army's highest profile Christmas efforts. Angel Tree was created by The Salvation Army in 1979 by Majors Charles and Shirley White when they worked with a Lynchburg, Virginia shopping mall to provide clothing and toys for children at Christmas time.

The program got its name because the Whites identified the wishes of local children by writing their gift needs on Hallmark greeting cards that featured pictures of angels. They placed the cards on a Christmas tree at the mall to allow shoppers to select children to help. Thanks to the Whites, who were assigned by The Army to the Lynchburg area at the time, more than 700 children had a brighter Christmas that first year.

Three years later, when the Whites were transferred to Nashville, Tennessee, Angel Tree was launched in the Music City. WSM radio, which airs the Grand Ol' Opry, came on board that year as the first Angel Tree co-sponsor in the U.S.

Because of the on-air promotion on WSM in Nashville, as well as national publicity on CNN and the Larry King Show, news of Angel Tree spread across the country like wildfire.

In Sarasota County, the program includes on-site Angel Trees in a number of local businesses, churches and organizations. Across the County, individuals and organizations have fully supported the Angel Tree program, making it possible to help more than 2,500 children and seniors each year.