Salvation Army Accepting Angel Tree Applications
The Salvation Army is currently accepting sign-ups for Angel Tree, a program that provides toys, books and winter garb to children throughout Kosciusko County.
Sign-ups began at 8 a.m. today for families with children 12 and under looking for some extra holiday assistance with gifts. Those looking to sign up for the program are asked to bring photo identification (State ID, Passport or something with a picture on it), a utility bill with an address on it (NIPSCO or REMC bills work), all income for the household (pay stub from employer, certification letter for food stamps or Medicaid or a WIC folder) and identification for children (birth certificate or Medicaid cards).
The Angel Tree program began in 1988, when the Women’s Auxiliary of The Salvation Army decided to work to bring toys to children of those incarcerated at the Kosciusko County Jail. The driving force behind Angel Tree in the program’s initial years was Marge Gast, who has since passed away. Gast strove to insure that children were helped during the holiday season. Today, the program has evolved to help children throughout the county in need.
For the past 92 years, the Salvation Army has been bringing christmas cheer to family’s in need. Though the Salvation Army has been the driving force of the program, K-Mart has also offered support as a supporting business and host of the program for 26 years.