A Joyful Experience

Jan 31, 2024

When Jasmine entered the Angel Tree Toy Shop at Fountain Square Corps, she saw a special opportunity. This Christmas, the program allowed parents to personally select the gifts for their children, a change in format that Jasmine found very empowering.

“Being able to walk into the Toy Shop and pick out gifts for my kids was really cool,” she recalled. “I got to pick out items that I knew my kids would like to have and play with.”

Jasmine represented one of the two thousand families that participated in Angel Tree Toy Shop in 2023. Parents and guardians like Jasmine shopped for nearly 5,000 Angels at three different Central Indiana locations over the course of five days in December. Jasmine was shopping for her son and daughter and found the perfect toys, clothing, and family game for them. She took the gifts home, wrapped them, and was able to place them under the tree on Christmas Eve.

“In previous years, through other programs not at The Salvation Army, we had no idea what our kids were getting until Christmas,” Jasmine added. “This year, we got to play as Santa, which was more fun thanks to the new format.” These types of opportunity are what The Salvation Army of Central Indiana wanted to create for parents, empowering them to get involved and make their own decisions.

“Data is showing that the impact of continuing to provide choices – and an opportunity for greater participation on the part of the parents – is noticed in increased dignity,” said Major Rachel Stouder, Central Indiana Area Commander. “There’s also a higher volume of families who are happy to be a part of other caring programs when given a choice.” Along with toys, parents were also given Kroger vouchers for food and a Blessing Bag that included toiletries and a family bible.

“We are thankful for The Salvation Army and the Christmas help,” Jasmine shared. “They prayed with us at the end, which felt great. Even the volunteers helping us that day were so helpful in the whole process.”

All the items in the Angel Tree Toy Shop program were donated by individuals and local businesses in the community. The Salvation Army of Central Indiana could not do this program without their support and all those who give generously through the Christmas season.

Jasmine, along with thousands of other parents, created cherished memories both at the Angel Tree Toy Shop and later at home on Christmas Day. She was so happy with her experience that she sent The Salvation Army a heartfelt video message thanking staff and volunteers for making this possible. We encourage you to watch Jasmine’s message, which is posted to the Facebook page for The Salvation Army of Central Indiana, and see for yourself the impact this important program had on families right here in our community.


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