COLLEGE STATION, Texas — In the last 48 hours, the Salvation Army in Bryan/College Station has distributed more than 2,500 children's gifts for people in need.
Originally starting in Virginia in 1979, the Salvation Army Angel Tree program has been in Brazos county for more than 20 years now.
Captain Timothy Israel and his wife oversee the Angel Tree program every year.
"Angel Tree is really special to us because it really takes the whole community. It takes donors going out, it takes hundreds of volunteer hours to organize the gifts and prepare them, and then it takes hours of volunteer work to distribute those," Israel said. "We just see that whole community and really the character of our community coming out."
From Nov. 12th to Dec. 13th, volunteers and staff have been receiving, sorting, and preparing donated gifts from generous community members who adopted angels.
These angels and their families are people in need in our community.
"It's always exciting to see just how excited a parent will get about a child getting a bike or even today I saw a mother get very excited their child was getting a car seat," Israel said. "Just because the child had just started to grow out of the last one and needed that new car seat."
Each donation is handpicked for each angel based on their wish items or need items.
For Keera Dunn, this Christmas is one that is extra special for her family and loved ones.
"He's one and this is his first time he really gets to open up presents," Dunn said. "So I'm really excited about that."
