According to Salvation Army Social Worker Paula Lafler, this is the beginning of a two-week effort to reach out to area low-income families that may have trouble putting gifts for their children under the Christmas tree this season.

“This is really the start of the busy season for us,” said Lafler. “We have the Angel Tree program getting started, and we have all of the other programs we work on during Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up as well. So we certainly have to get a jump on things.

“We’ll be accepting applications today and continue through Friday. We’ll also accept applications the following week, from Oct. 20 until Oct. 24. All they have to do is come by the office between 9 a.m. and noon, or 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.”

Lafler said the application process is simple.

“They need to come in and bring a picture ID for all of the adults, Social Security cards for all of the household members living there, birth certificates for children 12 and under and proof of income,” said Lafler. “That means check stubs from work, food stamps, AFDC, TANIF, HUD or any of those types of income. They need to bring those in with them, because we do verify them. They also need to bring in a copy of all of their expenses, as well as a list of what their children might want for Christmas, including clothes sizes and shoe sizes.

“The picture ID has to be a state-issued ID, not the kind you can get at certain convenience stores. Also, they need to be sure to bring either the Social Security card itself, or a print out from the Social Security Office. It has to appear on something official, even DHS (Department of Health Services) records.”

Once the names and gift ideas are collected and put on the Angel Trees in the form of cards, area shoppers will have the opportunity to brighten a child’s holiday by choosing one and purchasing items for them.

The trees will be erected in area stores and shops, according to Lafler.

For more information on the Angel Tree program, call 267-8239 or stop by their office, located at 811 W Fifth Street.

Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it