On Dec. 3, trucks from the Angel Tree program collected all of Emerson’s club donations. Angel Tree is a charity event where organizations or individuals can receive an “angel” who is a child in need. These angels’ families may not have been able to afford Christmas gifts for the holidays, but Angel Tree aids them by receiving donations regarding their child’s Christmas wish list. To donate, visit the Salvation Army website or visit your local Walmart and pick an angel tag off the designated Christmas tree to receive wishlist information.
For clubs who were interested in participating, members got to choose as many “angels” as they wanted to donate to. Addisyn Wimberly, 12, emphasized the importance of this program charity to the community of Frisco.
“FISD has created a program that fills that gap and we get to be a part of something so wonderful!” Wimberly said.
Donations can include anything like toys, games or clothes with each participating group receiving a list including needs and wants, sizing for clothing and a favorite color. Zayna Haider, 10, shared her ideas about gift giving.
“Things like art supplies, books, warm clothes, toys, or small tech items can go a long way,” Haider said. “Anything that mixes fun with usefulness makes a great gift.”
The program also helped contributors to evaluate the ways that they think about gratuity.
“It reminds me that the holidays aren’t easy for everyone, and it pushes me to be more generous and intentional,” Wimberly said.
Angel Tree has provided a simple process for those who donate, making it a simple and joyful process for the community. The hope for the organization is to have as much participation as possible, and schools help Angel Tree achieve this. One contributor, Josten Moreno, teacher of Independent Study and Mentorship as well as 3D Modeling and Animation.
“The more that we can give back as a school to our community is always great,” Moreno said. “But so far the system, the way that they’ve been doing it, it’s been really easy and simple.”
There is more to Angel Tree than just the act of donating. It has shown how helping others with Christmas gifts can make a huge difference in a child’s life.
“It showed me how powerful it is when people come together to lift someone else up,” Haider said.
