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And what an eye-opening experience it was! Everything Jennifer Grant wrote in her story titled Planning the Office Christmas Party Gift Exchange, which you can find in our December issue, came to life as we volunteered at the Salvation Army Warehouse on December 20. Our main function was to "shop" for the forgotten angels. If you have never picked up an angel from one of the Salvation Army Christmas trees that are spread through several malls nationwide, this story may make you pick one up every year from now on.
My husband and I didn't realize how sad a family's Christmas could be until we volunteered and saw how many angels were forgotten. A forgotten angel is any angel that did not get picked up from a Salvation Army tree. Picture this: tons and tons of sheets of paper with family names and their needs and wants. What I thought was most amazing was that most sheets said the same thing. We NEED clothes. We WANT clothes. These families are going through hardships few of us have ever imagined. You just know some families are going through a hard time when 10-year-olds are asking for clothes instead of fancy CD players or the latest doll.
Our mission was to go through all the boxes of donations that the Salvation Army had in its warehouse and try to fulfill the needs and wants of the forgotten angels. More often than not, the warehouse did not have everything the family needed or wanted. So if one 14-year-old asked for shoes, well, we had to give him slippers or old-fashioned house shoes. There were just too many forgotten angels.
Kathryn Poe said that the Angel Tree warehouse was an eye-opener for her and Stephen, her husband. "I have bought gifts for angels for years but was amazed to see how the process works," she said. "Much as I loved shopping for the forgotten angels, it was sad that we didn't have most of the things on their lists."
The warehouse lacked clothes, shoes, and educational material for teenagers. People usually pick up angels if they are infants, toddlers, or young children, but the teenagers seem to be forgotten. I wonder if that happens because it is easier to shop for a baby than it is to shop for an older kid. Kathryn said that, "Next year I am going to grab a couple of teenagers and do my best. It is fun to shop for the little ones, but it looks like everyone feels that way and the bigger kids are left out."
This is Jackie Damrau's third year of contributing her time to the Salvation Army. She has always enjoyed working behind the scenes to see how many families are really in need. "The most interesting is when you look out at the families who come to receive their gifts," she said. "You don't just see low-income families; you see all types. This is more prevalent lately with all the corporate layoffs that have occurred over the last two years. It is sad that these people have to rely on the Salvation Army to have a happy Christmas."
Jackie's most memorable moment this year was shopping with Kathryn. "She is a tried-and-true shopper; all I did was carry the bags and put them on the shelves," she said.
We all look forward to doing this again next year. This is one time when our chapter can really help the community. Thank you to the following people for truly making a difference in so many lives: Brenda and Chris, Kathryn and Stephen, Jackie, Robert, Elisa and Larry, and Mel and Lee.
Please free up your schedule during the next holiday season because we're doing this again! Hope to see you there!