The Salvation Army and its companions in the Wrangell Ministerial Association are preparing to roll out their annual holiday programs, providing meals, clothes and gifts to members of the community.
For Jon Tollerud, a Salvation Army Corps officer, the church’s holiday programs are a way to care for the community during a season that can be as financially burdensome as it is festive. “We’ve been helped in that same way,” Tollerud said of his family, and he hopes that the community will take advantage of what the Salvation Army has to offer.
From Oct. 10 to Nov. 11, families can apply to receive Thanksgiving meal boxes that contain all the elements of a multi-course holiday feast, from turkey to pumpkin pie. Boxes will be distributed on Nov. 18 at the Harbor Light Church from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Those wishing to support the program can donate to the Salvation Army, though Tollerud prefers cash donations to food donations. Food donations make it difficult to keep each meal box identical.
On Nov. 1, the Salvation Army’s “Angel Trees” will appear at First Bank, Wells Fargo, Ottesen’s, Sentry Hardware and the Salvation Army office. The trees will be covered in paper tags, with the Christmas wishes of an anonymous child written on each tag. Community members who want to participate in the Angel Trees program may select a tag, purchase all or some of the items listed on it and return the items to one of the tree locations by Dec. 9. The Salvation Army recommends spending between $25 and $50 on new items for an Angel Tree box.
For those hoping to give even more, the Salvation Army will offer its Adopt-A-Family program for the third year in a row. Community members can sponsor an anonymous family’s entire Christmas celebration, including food and gifts. Last year, residents sponsored three Wrangell families; the year before they sponsored seven.
Since the Salvation Army’s holiday assistance programs rely entirely on church funding, community members don’t need to hit any benchmarks of financial need to qualify for meals or Angel Tree gifts for their children. “If you’re in need, you know you’re in need,” Tollerud said. “We’re here for everyone. There is … no requirement for services rendered by the Salvation Army.”
Only when the organization spends government grants or other funds does it require recipients to meet standards of demonstrated need. For Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, the organization doesn’t turn away any applicants, but since the Adopt-A-Family program requires a greater donor commitment, the Salvation Army focuses the program on families with significant financial need.
To sign your child up for an Angel Tree tag or to receive holiday meals, applications are available at the Salvation Army office at 611 Zimovia Highway. Applications for Thanksgiving aid are now open, though families can sign up for Christmas and Thanksgiving aid at one time. Applications for Thanksgiving meals close on Nov. 11 and applications for Christmas meals close on Dec. 9.
Tollerud is optimistic about the future of the Wrangell Salvation Army branch and its ability to continue providing assistance to community families. “Each year, things get better,” he said. “People are donating more food and we are able to provide more services every year.”
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