Salvation Army Angel Trees can be found in various locations across Wrangell. Anyone feeling charitable can take a tag off a tree and purchase gifts for a child in need.
The Wrangell Salvation Army has been handing out Christmas baskets since its inception in the 1960s, according to Maj. Jennifer Bates. She knows for a fact they have done them for the past three years, she said.
The holiday season can put strain on anybody's budget. For many people, things like a Christmas dinner, or sometimes even presents, are financially out of reach. The Christmas baskets, Bates said, are meant to help ease that strain for those in the community by providing a Christmas meal for the family.
"It goes a little bit along the lines of our Thanksgiving baskets with the ministerial association," she said.
The Christmas baskets come with everything one would need for a holiday meal: A ham, stuffing, olives, yams, fruit, mashed potatoes, gravy, jello, and much more. Beyond the meal, the Salvation Army is also willing to help families in need with Christmas presents.
Bates said that Angel Trees have been set up at Wells Fargo, First Bank, Ottesen's, Sentry, and Bobs' IGA. Hanging on these trees are tags with two or three suggestions for Christmas presents that people can purchase and deliver to the Salvation Army, or drop them off under the tree they took the tag from. The gifts should be unwrapped. Families can sign up to be on the Angel Tree as well as for a Christmas basket.
Bates said that the baskets and toys will be given out on Dec. 19, at the Salvation Army Church, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This week is the last week to sign up for the food baskets, she said, so people need to call soon. She said there are only four Fridays left until Christmas, so the holidays should be on everyone's mind.
"I encourage everybody to call," she said. "I'm hoping people will get the hint they need to call and sign up."
The Salvation Army can be reached at (907) 874-3753. They are located at 611 Zimovia Highway.
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