Salvation Army's Angel Tree gifts distributed
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on December 18, 2016 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Tamika Mickens broke her wrist a few months ago and was laid up for a while after surgery, unable to work.
She and her five children became homeless, going to different people's homes until she can get back on her feet again.
The only way her children would have anything under their tree this Christmas was through the Salvation Army's Angel Tree Program.
Distribution day was Friday.
The program has been helping families at Christmas time for more than 70 years, said Lt. Sherrie Stokes with the Salvation Army.
"We do this program because we want to be able to help children in our local community that may not otherwise have Christmas," she said. "This year we had more than 200 families with more than 450 children, ages birth to 12."
Ms. Mickens, 39, was one of those families. She received gifts for four of her five children.
"They wanted bikes, Paw Patrol and toys to ride on," she said. "If we didn't get help from the Salvation Army, there would have been nothing but candy canes under the tree this year. People who do this program are awesome, beautiful, wonderful and Godly."
Mother and daughter, Paula Pierce, 48, and Angela Jackson, 28, went to the distribution event together, Ms. Pierce to get some toys for her three young grandchildren she has custody of and Ms. Jackson to get items for her four stepchildren and a daughter.
Ms. Pierce lost a lot of her belongings during the flooding from Hurricane Matthew.
"If the Salvation Army didn't help, the children would have had a little something under the tree, but it wouldn't be this nice," Ms. Pierce said. "I think it's a great organization. They help a lot of people."
Ms. Jackson said she and her fiancĂ(c) needed some extra help this year because he had just started his own business and it didn't take off as well as they originally thought.
The mother and daughter left the event with a total of five bicycles and bags full of toys for the children.
Tkeyah Kenon, 26, picked up gifts for her two young sons. She also lost belongings during the hurricane, including her car.
"I'm just trying to get back on my feet and needed a little extra help this Christmas season," she said. "Right now they have a few clothes and a pair of shoes under the tree, but no toys like they really wanted.
"This is a big help and a blessing to all the people who need help in the community."
Mrs. Stokes said the Salvation Army couldn't do the Angel Tree Program without the help of the community.
This year, the organization partnered with the two Sheetz gas stations, who adopted a total of 32 children, giving them a big Christmas party. Mt. Olive Pickle Co., SPX and Cooper Standard also took several of the children.
"We had a donation of $25 Target gift cards so this year every family got a gift card," Mrs. Stokes said.
And someone donated a big box full of toothbrushes, so families got those, too. And each family received a box of food, which a local homeschooled group packed.
The community even stepped in when the Salvation Army had 43 of the 85 bikes donated by Spokes of Eastern North Carolina stolen from its warehouse.
"We had so many people come together who said they were not going to see these children go without bikes," Mrs. Stokes said. "We surpassed the 43 that were stolen."
She said that about 74 percent of the families receiving help from this year's Angel Tree Program had been affected by Hurricane Matthew.
"We had so many people at the distribution in tears when they got their gifts," Mrs. Stokes said. "They were excited. There may have been a chance that they would not have been able to provide for their children for Christmas. But, thanks to our community, they have a Christmas for their child."
And one of those was 40-year-old Kimberly Dhifillahh, a divorced mother with six children.
"My truck blew up this year," she said. "My 20-year-old son wasn't busy and gave me a ride here today so I could get what I needed to get for my babies at Christmas. It has helped tremendously.
"I think it's amazing and it's a blessing and I appreciate it. I'm sure other people appreciate it as well."