The Salvation Army is scheduling appointments through Thursday for low-income families with children 12 years old and younger for its Angel Tree Program.
Families can schedule appointments from 9 a.m. until noon and 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. today and Thursday at The Salvation Army, 115 Crescent Ave. Applicants must appear in person and provide a photo ID for the head of the household, proof of residence, proof of household income, proof of children, proof the children live at the same residence as the head of the household, and a list of gifts and needs for all children ages 12 and younger living in the home.
"When people come into our office, we ask them why they need our assistance and we get every type of answer imaginable. ... If they don't have this supplemental help, they may not have anything for their children come Christmas," Lieutenant Stephanie Hargis with The Salvation Army said.
The actual process of signing families up for holiday assistance begins next week but Hargis said they require families to make an appointment if they want to participate in the Angel Tree program, and they are not offering any make up days.
"We (choose families) based off the poverty guidelines for the year. If they make more money than what the poverty guidelines say, they do not qualify," she said.
"Due to space and due to the fact that we had some (gifts for Angels) not brought back, we have to limit how many families we sign up."
Last year, The Salvation Army delivered 669 bags of gifts to local children. Slightly fewer than 100 Angels were either not adopted or their gifts were not returned last year. When that happens, Hargis said The Salvation Army takes funds not included in their yearly budget and covers those forgotten Angels.
"A new thing this year is that we're allowing families to put on the tag something they need. A lot of times we can give them toys that they will break in a few months and they'll be back next year but (we want to focus on) what they need," she said.
Parents and guardians must come with proof of children in order to qualify. Hargis said proof can be anything from birth certificates to documents with the child's name and date of birth. Social Security cards will not be accepted.
Proof that the child shares the same address as the head of the household can include documents such as a Medicaid form, report card, shot records, or lease agreements, a news release said.
Children may be present to set up an appointment but may not attend at the time of appointment or applicants will not be able to register for assistance, it said.
Call The Salvation Army, 501-623-1628, for more information.
Local on 10/03/2018