The Lethbridge Family Services’ Angel Tree Campaign has kicked off for another year, with the goal to make local children and teens Christmas’ shine that much brighter.
Karen Nemeth is this year’s co-chair for the Angel Tree Campaign and has been a volunteer with the program the last few years. This year, there’s around 3,800 children included in the campaign.
“Angel Tree is a year-round effort to be able to gather all the things that we need to be able to serve the anticipated 3,800 children that we will serve this year, in 2023, for Christmas,” says Nemeth.
The CEO of Lethbridge Family Services, Sandra Mintz, says it takes an army of volunteers and donors to pull off what the campaign does.
“We will give them something off of their Christmas list, we will give them something educational to fuel their mind, something inspirational to fuel their imagination, and we’ll give them something warm and cuddly,” says Mintz.
This year’s campaign now has a new presenting sponsor in Avonlea Homes, and Customer Service Manager Ron Tyslau says the business has been donating toys the past few years and is looking forward to once again playing a part in making the holidays merrier and brighter in southern Alberta.
“It’s celebrating 31 years of the Angel Tree Program, 31 years of bringing joy and bringing happiness and reaching those that we will never meet, we will never see, but knowing that on Christmas Day that we have brought joy to their lives and to their families,” says Tyslau.
Community members interested in dropping off toys for the campaign can use the Angel Tree Toy Depot and or go to any of various drop-off locations across the city.
More information can be found on the Lethbridge Family Services website.