Families hand-picked gifts from thousands of items piled on tables at Grace United Methodist Church in Franklin, part of an annual tradition that ensures Johnson County families with the greatest needs are able to give gifts to their children this holiday season.
Christmas Angels has been a staple of the United Way of Johnson County since 1999, said Nancy Lohr Plake, the nonprofit’s executive director.
But not all the families helped by Christmas Angels pick up gift items from the church’s Angel Tree store.
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This year, 104 families with 265 children were invited to pick up gifts from the store, out of a total of 576 families and 1,446 children who are served by United Way. The rest of the families have gifts delivered to them or pick up gifts from the program’s 138 sponsors, including individuals, businesses and community organizations that take part in the program, Plake said.
Schools determine which families have the most need, and give those families applications which they can give to United Way. United Way also has what it calls intake days, for families whose children are not yet old enough to be enrolled in school, Plake said.
Betsy Lucas, of Greenwood, is raising two children by herself, and Christmas Angels has helped her give them gifts since 2003, right after the birth of her first child, now 17. She has since welcomed a second, an 11-year-old, making the program all the more important, Lucas said.
“It helps a lot, to be honest,” Lucas said. “The cost of living is going up, pay is not increasing, so it makes it tough. I’m a single mom and I have been for years, so without this program, Christmas just isn’t possible. I’d have to choose between Christmas and rent or an electric bill.”
The gifts parents picked from included socks, hats, shoes, footballs and basketballs. Parents could pick up board games, headphones and a variety of toys.
“There’s probably tens of thousands (of gifts). There’s boxes of stuff still in here. We have a free clothing drive that’s unlimited for (parents),” volunteer David Allen said. “A lot of the robotics stuff seems to go for the kids. Hot Wheels is a popular item as well.”
Franklin resident Seth Hagan took part in the initiative for the first time, shopping for his three children. One of the items he spotted as a potential gift was a miniature kitchen set, he said.
“We’re down on our luck right now,” Hagan said. “It’s never been a problem before, but it is right now. They help with just about everything whether it’s necessities or just Christmas gifts.”
The two-day event concludes today, when selected families will have a chance to pick up items from the church from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“For some families, this means the world to them because sometimes they have to choose between making a rental payment or utility payment versus Christmas,” Plake said. “This gives families the extra help they need during this time so they can provide (gifts) during the holidays.”
Alina Casey found gifts for her son and daughter that they wouldn’t have otherwise gotten.
“It’s a good opportunity for people who are not able to afford items to give to their kids and let them have a really good Christmas,” Arila said. “I think it’s great.”
