Christmas program appointment system
New Appointment System for Christmas Program Registration
LA CROSSE – Changes are coming to the way people sign up for The Salvation Army of La Crosse’s Christmas programs.
Starting Monday, October 31st, families that want to take part in the Angel Giving Tree, Christmas Food Basket, or La Crosse Jaycees Toys for Tots programs must make an appointment by phone to set up a time to register. Previously, registration was only made available to walk-ins. The new appointment system is being implemented to make registration times less crowded. The system was first used for The Salvation Army’s ‘Back 2 School’ program in 2016.
“The reason we switched was to avoid long lines and waiting times for clients,” says Program Director Vicky Caya, “it did for ‘Back 2 School’ completely.”
Families that want to sign up for the programs can start calling The Salvation Army of La Crosse (608-782-6126) on October 31st to make an appointment. Nothing is needed to make an appointment. Registration meetings begin on Monday, November 7th and will be held at The Salvation Army of La Crosse (223 N. 8th Street). Times are as follows:
Monday, November 7: 1:00p.m.-5:00p.m. Friday, November 11: 9:00a.m.-1:00p.m.
Tuesday, November 8: 9:00a.m.-1:00p.m. Saturday, November 12: 10:00a.m.-2:00p.m.
Thursday, November 10: 3:00p.m.-7:00p.m.
Families will be given a specific registration time upon making an appointment. Approximately 500 families will be accepted for each Salvation Army Christmas program. There is no limit for the La Crosse Jaycees Toys for Tots program. Families will be required to bring a form of identification, proof of children for family size, and proof of need to their scheduled registration.
Salvation Army Christmas programs are offered to families that are in need throughout the holiday season. The Angel Giving Tree provides low income families with Christmas gifts for their children. The Christmas Food Basket program provides families with the necessary foods to make a traditional ‘Christmas Dinner’ along with extra items to make hunger a non-issue over the holidays.
To help as many families as possible, The Salvation Army of La Crosse is partnering with other agencies in the community to avoid the duplication of services.