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Salvation Army in need of help with Angel Tree, deadline to donate is Friday

Posted at 6:30 AM, Dec 09, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-09 17:41:28-05

FORT MYERS, Fla. — You better not pout, you better not cry, a local non-profit is asking for help… and we’re telling you why.

The Salvation Army is in full swing with their annual Angel Tree program. Helping supply a little Christmas cheer for some Southwest Florida families to hear.

The Salvation Army is still looking for families to help shop for a few angels. Right now- there are about 70 angels you can adopt and shop for to help make their season a little brighter. I even got behind a shopping cart to see what it takes…

"Our Christmas season begins in July when we start making plans for angel tree,” says Major Charlotte Gargis, with the Salvation Army of Lee County.

They say it’s the most wonderful time of the year… and what would it be without a little giving?

"A parent without the hope of Christmas is pretty hopeless and they feel helpless," said Gargis. "So our Salvation Army- your Salvation Army donations- bring hope into these family’s lives and 4,000 children will receive the hope of Christmas this year.”

Right now, the Salvation Army is behind on their return deadline for their Angel Tree program. More than one thousand angels have not yet been returned.

"That’s pretty good, considering we have a little bit of time but the process takes a lot of time to make sure every angel- every child- is taken care of,” Gargis said.

Once items are dropped off, they are then sorted by volunteers who bag them up for each individual angel.

“I can’t even describe how important volunteers are," says Patrick Rookey, Angel Tree Warehouse Manager and volunteer. "It couldn’t be done without them.”

Volunteers, like Rookey, who’s been giving his time for the last four years. The opportunity to give back to his community keeps him coming back.

"It really goes back, it has roots and not just what we’re doing today," he says. "We are part of the community, we are part of the Greater Fort Myers family and as family members we have responsibility for one another.”

The deadline for Angel Tree donations is Friday, December 10. If you're interested in adopting an angel to shop for, you can find more information online right here.