by Amanda Danaher

When Zena Hemp of Hartwood first became involved with Angel Tree, she only intended to buy a few holiday gifts for a senior in her community. But when she delivered the gifts, she saw an even bigger need.

“The Salvation Army office was so busy that day they asked if I could drop my gifts off at Toyland,” said Hemp. “When I walked in and I saw that 75 percent or more of the seniors had not been adopted, I was devastated. Most of the seniors asked for the basic, everyday things we take for granted like laundry soap, toothpaste and toasters. I couldn’t adopt all of them, but I could prevent this from happening again.”

That same day, Hemp stayed to assist volunteers at Toyland, the Angel Tree Warehouse and then volunteered the remainder of the year.

Today, she serves as co-chair of the Fredericksburg Angel Tree program alongside co-chair Cheryl Howard.

Angel Tree, an annual assistance program through The Salvation Army, provides children, ages 0–12, as well as youth with disabilities, ages 0–18, with new clothing and toys for the holidays. Seniors 60 years old and older also can participate if they meet the income requirements.

Although income is the main eligibility requirement for most participants, there are many reasons why a family may look to the program for assistance.

“Each year we meet families where one or both parents are struggling with unemployment or underemployment. Often a health crisis has caused a parent to stop work or reduce their hours,” said Margie Brewer-Zambon, social services program manager at The Salvation Army, Fredericksburg, VA, Corps. “One unexpected expense can cause a financial crisis. We also meet grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren on a fixed income; families living in motels or with relatives and trying to save for permanent housing; and families where a parent may be incarcerated.”

The local Angel Tree program serves families from the city of Fredericksburg as well as Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, Stafford and Westmoreland counties. Last year alone, the program assisted 770 families.

Each year, Angel Tree relies almost entirely on the community to make this program possible including volunteers like Hemp and Howard, who work year-round to organize and coordinate the local program.

“It’s safe to say that there are thousands of people in our community who give generously to make Christmas brighter for others,” said Brewer-Zambon.

For those who wish to help, simply stop by any participating local business or organization to select an Angel Tag from an Angel Tree. The tags list the participant’s name, age and clothing size as well as three items on their wish list.

For those who are not able to commit to a tag, Angel Tree always welcomes individual donations of new and unwrapped toys, clothing and basic cleaning and hygiene products. Financial contributions and volunteers also are welcome.

“Every parent wants to be able to give their children a special, joyful Christmas and to create happy family memories. This is a chance for all of us in the community to help give exactly that to another family. When people give to Angel Tree, often they are giving more than just toys. They are giving hope to a family for a brighter future. They are telling a struggling family that their community cares,” said Howard.

Donations can be delivered to The Salvation Army or the Customer Service center of any local Walmart.

The items then are sorted, bagged and labeled for each participating child, youth and senior at Toyland where families are able to pick up the gifts by mid-December.

For more volunteer information, call 540-373-3431.