A volunteer helps Amanda Turner, left, pick out items for her three children at the United Way of Johnson County’s Christmas Angels program on Wednesday at Grace United Methodist Church. The program provides gifts to families in need each holiday season.
Among the tables stacked with Barbie dolls and Lego sets, Nerf blasters and portable speakers, local residents searched for items to check off their lists.
Amanda Turner was looking for gifts for her three children — LOL Surprise! dolls and gamer stuff and anything to entertain a 1 year old.
This was the first year she had taken part in the United Way of Johnson County’s Christmas Angels program. After a difficult year, she was thankful to have the opportunity to provide her kids with some of their favorite items for Christmas morning.
“I’ve got good kids. We’ve just had a rough year,” Turner said. “This is the first time I’ve ever had to do this. When I was younger, I volunteered to help with this program, but (now) we had a rough year, like a lot of people. It means a lot.”
Families needing help this holiday season found Santa’s helpers hard at work throughout the day Wednesday during the annual Christmas Angels program. More than 1,300 children received gifts this year.
Local residents were able to go through the pop-up shop to pick out toys, games, clothing and other items.
At a time when families, and particularly children, are struggling, it was vital that the Christmas Angels program went on, said Nancy Lohr Plake, executive director of the United Way of Johnson County, whose sponsors stepped forward in a big way.
“It’s really rewarding that we are able to provide this program, because we know that families are really, really struggling. We know that our youth are really, really struggling. This really ensures that the kids of our county will be able to have some joy, and some normalcy, on Christmas morning,” Plake said.
The Christmas Angels program is designed to provide gifts for Johnson County children — newborn to 17 years old — who would otherwise not have Christmas gifts. Sponsors had the option to buy gifts for an entire family, or donate toys and other items.
More than 160 sponsors took on families this holiday season, and 21 people donated toys.
Any children who did not receive a sponsor is typically invited to come to the Christmas Angel Tree Store in mid-December to pick out gifts for the holidays.
The pandemic in 2020 interrupted the normal operation of the Angel Tree Store, but with some adjustments and precautions, organizers were able to open up this year. Families taking part were given time slots to ensure that a limited number of people were at the store at any one time, Plake said.
“We were able to get a little bit back to normal,” she said. “We used a lot of our other programs as guidelines, scheduling people so they had a specific time frame to come shop.”
This year, 54 families were invited to the Angel Tree Store, getting gifts for 117 children.
One by one, families checked in and were ushered into the meeting space inside Grace United Methodist Church in Franklin. They were paired with a volunteer, who helped guide them among the different shopping areas. Holiday music played throughout the meeting space, and volunteers wore festive sweaters and other Christmas gear to add to the spirit of the event.
Toys for all ages and interests were stacked high on different tables, so shoppers could find the best gift for a preteen girl as opposed to a toddler boy.
Books, stuffed animals and board games offered choices for any interest. Families could also pick out sweatshirts and other clothing, including winter coats, hats and beauty products.
Bruce and Casey Taylor were shopping for their two young children, focused on the myriad of different baby dolls that were available.
“It means a lot to us that they have this,” Casey Taylor said.
The Angel Tree Store was open throughout the day on Wednesday, and will be again today. Seeing the impact the event had for the families taking part, considering the two years the entire community had endured, has been encouraging, Plake said.
”More than ever, this program will lift spirits. As a society, we are really drained with COVID-19, and it’s really taking a toll on our youth,” she said. “With this, they have something to really look forward to and count on, this being something they’ve experienced every year.”
