SAN ANTONIO – With less than a week left until Christmas, Santa’s sleigh is undoubtedly getting a final tune-up. But some helpers in San Antonio are already making some Christmas wishes come true.
Monday was the Angel Tree Distribution for the Salvation Army. The Angel Tree Program pairs the wish list of a child in need with a donor.
Dozens of volunteers were loading toys into trunks all morning.
Rudy Barron waited in line to get gifts for his daughter. He said he’s grateful for the program.
“I’d like to say thank you for helping support us — help my daughter get a little more Christmas than what we could do for her. It’s a very helping hand,” Barron said.
With inflation still up over 7% this Christmas, the families KSAT spoke with say this 100% donor-driven program helps ease that burden during the holidays.
Ashley Robinette, a spokesperson for the Salvation Army, said this year saw a huge turnout of donations and volunteers.
“It was a little bit harder the last couple of years,” Robinette said. “We had a lot of families who needed assistance because we didn’t have a lot of volunteers. People weren’t able to come out because of the scare of COVID. This year, the giving is up, and so is the volunteerism.”
This year, around 4,600 children, along with some seniors, signed up for the Angel Tree Program.
Organizers were able to fulfill every wish.