Salvation Army Kicks Off Angel Tree Program

By Dave Jordan, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Holiday season will not be as joyful for some Oklahoma families. As the economy continues to rebound, many people are still struggling to make ends meet.

That means organizations like the Salvation Army will have its hands full this season.

This is the time of year when they hang the angels of needy families on the tree in the hopes that someone will help them make their holiday wish come true. But this year, the Salvation Army is seeing a spike in requests for help.

Behind the glittery backdrop of the Holiday season, reality is setting in for hundreds of Oklahoma families.

"We have found that we have almost 500 more families that have come to us this year and when you consider three and four kids per family that's a lot of kids that we are taking under our belts," Salvation Army Coordinator Maj. Francina Proctor said.

Christmas angels, usually the forefront of the Salvation Army's Holiday push, are seemingly taking a backseat to basic human needs. Clothing sizes of all children are included on the angels, along with their toy request. Meanwhile, across town, food is the main request.

"For the food pantry, the needs have just increased, incredibly so," said Exec. Director-Social Services with the Salvation Army Antoinette Hysmith-Sanders. "We have had about a 30 percent increase in requests for services."

Services include on-site meals, and grocery deliveries to seniors. Volunteers spent hours packing bags and carting them off. Food donations are coming in, but not enough to meet the growing needs. Right now, there's only enough to last until March and by some accounts, that's a conservative estimate.

Which means more than ever, the Salvation Army will depend on the kindness of strangers especially in the season of giving.

And you might be wondering why Oklahoma City is seeing this kind of need when economically; we're doing much better than the rest of the country. Sanders says a lot of the need is from people who moved to the area because of its recession-proof reputation and now they're having trouble finding work.

Learn how you can help the Salvation Army.