TAMPA, Fla. — Hundreds of children around the Tampa Bay area are in need of someone to fulfill their Christmas wishes.
ABC Action News has teamed up with the Salvation Army in Hillsborough County and Famous Tate to make sure every kid has presents to open this holiday season.
“The Angel Tree in the whole area will help over 10,000 children," said Major Mark Woodcock, Commander of the Salvation Army of Hillsborough County.
There are still about 500 angels in Hillsborough and another 500 or 600 in St. Pete, needing someone to make their wish list a reality.
"I remember when I was little, and you got that gift, and you were aha,” said Major Gary Sturdivant, Commander of Salvation Army of St. Pete, holding up his arms in surprise. “I would just hate that any child in this community would not have that experience."
Angel trees are located at our station, Famous Tate locations, and Salvation Army locations around the county.
"The Salvation Army is out in full force with its red kettle campaign,” Woodcock said. People can drop those coins, those dollar bills into that red kettle that has been around over 100 years to help support the Salvation Army, not just at Christmas time, but also year-round."
In Hillsborough County alone, the Salvation Army gives about 350 people a place to sleep every night and feeds more than one thousand meals daily.
"But if you are living paycheck to paycheck, you know, going to the grocery store, your dollar doesn't stretch as much as it used to,” Woodcock said. So that is where the Salvation Army steps in, helping them with utility bills, helping them with rent, helping them with food."
"Because children are out of school, and so we just make sure these families have food on their table as well,” Sturdivant said.
Anyone wishing to adopt an angel, can visit the ABC Action News Angel Tree, located in the ABC Action News lobby located at 4045 N. Himes Avenue, Tampa, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. any weekday.
