Paper angels bear the Christmas hopes of around 40 children on this year's Angel Tree, kept at the Nolan Center for the beginning half of December. People wanting to purchase gifts would pick a tag, purchase the listed items, then bring them to the Salvation Army for their annual holiday basket giveaway.
Wrangell's Salvation Army reached out to one of its largest groups yet for its annual Christmas Basket drive, providing toys and holiday meals for 90 families on Monday.
About 125 people were served in all, receiving Christmas suppers of ham, two vegetables, olives, dressing, potatoes, milk, cranberry sauce, yams and Jell-O.
"That's just for two people. If it's a bigger family then we give them two boxes and two hams to have a good, comfortable dinner and maybe some leftovers for a ham sandwich or something," explained S.A. Major Jennifer Bates.
One of the hallmark features of the holiday is to wake up to presents beneath the tree Christmas morning, and families applying for the program can put down several gift ideas their children might like. Bates explained those ideas get organized into little lists written on paper angels, which are featured each year on the church group's Angel Tree placed at the Nolan Center's Christmas Tree Lane.
Patrons pick an angel and go find the desired toys – not only toys, but shoes and boots, reading materials, and craft accessories for cooking or sewing.
"I try to put things down that we can get in town, so we can support the local merchants," Bates said.
The majority of items were purchased locally, which were collected by Saturday and arranged into festive gift bags by volunteers on Sunday. For privacy's sake, children's gifts are assigned numbers so their families can make out which goes to what household.
"People donated extra stuff" as well, Bates said. A collection of extra toys filled several tables by the door, on the off chance there would be a need for them.
The long-standing holiday gift and meal program means a lot to Bates, who together with her husband, Michael, has been serving the community since their arrival from Kodiak in March.
"It's the spirit of Christmas. It's tradition," she said. "It's not all about toys. It's about a kid waking up and being able to get a Christmas present under the tree.
"I grew up in a really poor family. And even with my mom being poor, I can still remember having 20 presents. And that was because of the Salvation Army," Bates recounted. "I wouldn't have had a Christmas without them."
Funding for the holiday gift and meal program came in part from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in the form of a $2,000 grant geared toward smaller communities. Another $2,400 came from money left over from Wrangell Ministerial Association's annual Thanksgiving meal drive in November.
"We share the love and the gifts," Bates remarked.
Whatever is left over from the program then goes to the community food bank, which the Salvation Army maintains to meet nutritional needs throughout the year. Meals from its pantry go to supplement area families' cupboards once a month, and are also made available during emergencies. The program's stores are generally replenished through food donations.
"Ninety percent of it is donated by Bobs' IGA. He supports us so much, it's incredible. The man is unbelievable," Bates commented. "The rest of this was given by the middle school," she said during a tour of the pantry. "They did a canned drive, which stocked our shelves."
Parishioners from St. Philip's Episcopal Church are also regular supporters, coming by almost every week with items. Bates attested that members from all over the community contributes to the program, which dispenses boxes of frozen goods, canned items and other nonperishables every Tuesday.
"We ask Wrangell for a lot of stuff, and they step up every time," she said. "We're such a tight-knit community I don't think anybody has to go without."
She noted the need for support has grown over the past year, following on the backs of two poor harvests for the local salmon fisheries.
"A lot of guys live off of that for their annual salaries. It takes a hit for these families," Bates explained. "We went from serving seven families when we first got here eight months ago to 22 families."
After the holiday season, the pantry's biggest demand comes in January and February, when people are also breaking out their green visors and calculators and begin accounting for the year's taxes.
The current supply in the pantry should hold up through the end of February, but Bates said the food bank could always use some extra help.
"We're always looking for more; protein things, such as tuna and chili. Things that will stick and give them protein," she said.
Donations don't have to be large. Even a few extra dollars will help. "Give me five cans of soup and that will help me feed five extra people. That's five cans I didn't have before," said Bates.
Those interested in helping out can swing by the church to see its running food bank list, or can call the office at 874-3753.
The program also offers heating assistance, to cover the costs of oil or electric heat. Applicants need to meet particular income guidelines, earning up to 130 percent of the poverty line. Funding for that program comes through the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation.
"We're more than willing to help them pay their bill," Bates explained. She felt people shouldn't have to choose between keeping the heat on and picking up needed groceries. "Don't try to choose certain things. We have it. And if we don't have it we can try to find it."
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