Participating in what’s become a beloved holiday tradition, Women United (WU) and Young Philanthropists Society (YPS) members volunteered for the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program on December 14th. You may have seen Christmas trees with tags instead of ornaments in various locations around town. These tags represent local children, dubbed “angels,” who have submitted wants and needs they’d like to receive for the holiday season. Once the toys, clothes and other items have been gathered, it’s time to deliver them to families – and this is where WU and YPS members stepped in!
With an assembly line setup that would make Santa’s elves proud, volunteers matched families’ numbers to specific bags of goodies and used buggies to transport everything to delivery cars in waiting. “I love [this event] because it’s hands on, and you can interact with clients,” said Eleanor Griffin, a United Way of Central Alabama board member. “The beauty of volunteering is that you see directly where your dollars go, and interacting with clients makes you see why it’s worth giving. It’s great that United Way steps in to fill this need.”
Janice Trannon, a Regions employee who is a WU and YPS member, said, “Regions likes to give back, and we love kids. It’s heart-wrenching to think of kids going without on Christmas, which is why this is such a great event.” Nationally, the Salvation Army Angel Tree program provides new toys and clothes to more than 1 million children.
Thank you, Women United and Young Philanthropists Society for spreading some Christmas cheer!
