Applications open for Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets

Applications for Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets are now open, according to Lt. Jon Tollerud of the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army and the Wrangell Ministerial Association are partnering to provide the baskets for Wrangell families in need of assistance during the holiday season, he said. The application process is simple. There is only one form to fill out, he said.

"If all they want is Thanksgiving, or all they want is Christmas, they just circle one," Tollerud said. "Or they circle both. It's just to make sure that we have all the information that is necessary for the situation. The only thing we're actually asking people for is an ID, and when it comes to Christmas toys for kids just proof they're your kids."

The Thanksgiving baskets will be filled with food to make a good Thanksgiving meal, Tollerud said. The Christmas baskets will have toys for children, he added, plus a month's worth of groceries. The Salvation Army's food pantry closes down around the end of the year for cleaning, so he said they want to make sure people have plenty to get by until the food pantry reopens for 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made the year challenging for many people, Tollerud said, so the Salvation Army and WMA are expecting more applications than usual. He said that last year they put together about 200 Thanksgiving baskets and 180 Christmas baskets. They are anticipating double those numbers this year. He added that they are hoping to raise $10,000 for the Thanksgiving baskets, as well as $10,000 for Christmas. Donations of groceries, money, and other items are appreciated, he said.

"It's a significant amount," he said. "So if people want to donate, they can come down and do that. We've already purchased, or have placed the order for the majority of the food ... People can still donate to offset the cost. They can also bring their canned goods down. If people want to donate to the cost of turkeys, they can contact myself or Pastor Kem Haggard."

Tollerud added that anonymity is important to the Salvation Army's giving. Nobody should feel embarrassed to reach out to them if they are in need of assistance. The Salvation Army is just here to help, he said, no strings attached.

"We understand, especially right now, people are a little bit afraid to ask for help," he said. "It's hard, especially in a time like this, for people to admit their part of those who are hurting, those who are suffering. Especially in a small community, because they don't want their neighbors to know, or they don't want their neighbors to help. They want to do it on their own. Anonymity is an important part of how we do business."

There is not a set date for the closure of applications at this time, Tollerud said.

He said he is expecting to close applications for Thanksgiving baskets around Nov. 13, and Christmas baskets around Dec. 11. Distribution of these baskets will take place around Nov. 20 and Dec. 18. Anyone wishing to apply can contact the Salvation Army at (907) 874-3753. They will take walk-ins, Tollerud said, but they prefer that people call ahead to make an appointment. They are trying to keep appointments spread across 15-minute windows throughout the day, he explained, as part of COVID-19 mitigation efforts.