Chicago, Illinois Aug 15, 2019 (Issuewire.com) - Christmas may be more than three months away, but it is never too early to start preparing for the holidays when it comes to helping those in need. The Chicago Angels of Need has kicked off its Angel Tree registration in an effort to help provide Christmas to thousands of local families in need.
As the Angel Tree registration in downtown Chicago kicked off, it drew large crowds early on, thanks in part to i-Bobbles Express, a local retailer who creates custom Bobble Head Dolls and very unique Bobble Head Holiday Greeting Cards in less than a minute. The company agreed to donate 50% of their proceeds to the Angel Tree program and in total, raised over $1600 for the charity during the 2-day kick-off.
For Donna Wilder, a Joliet mother of two, the program is a means to get a jump on the holidays. "It'll actually help me a lot this year because I'm not working at the time," said Wilders.
For Martin Benjamin, a father of two sets of twins from Oshkosh, taking part in the Angel Tree program is about doing what he can.
"I've got a set of girls [age] 12 and a set of boys [age] 7," said Benjamin. "I'm disabled and I fell back in 2004 at work and I don't draw much from social security now."
Their motivations may have differed, but their missions proved to be the same Monday: put smiles on the little faces they love to come to Christmas Day.
As the day went on, the crowds got bigger and the line got longer as the company continued to create wonderful holiday greeting cards featuring the customer's heads placed on an elf body, and bobbling inside a very nice card.
"They're anxious to make sure that the children are taken care of during the Christmas season," said Bernadette Penn with the Chicago Angels of Need. "They've been wonderful and were able to donate $945 from just the first day. Its a great kick-off to the holiday season."
"You will see those Angel Trees up in the malls and at Walmart and they can go and select a child that they want to shop for," said Penn. "While they're shopping for their own children or their grandchildren, maybe they can help out another child as well, and get a very nice Bobble-Head Doll or Card while they are here."
It's a program many people waiting to register Monday said they had learned of through word of mouth.
"To get a jump start on Christmas," began Wilders, "it'll be a big help."
"I'm very grateful to the people who can afford to help us out," said Downey.
From security to good ole' goodwill, the gift of Christmas will soon be hanging from an Angel Tree near you.
After Angel Tree registrations wrap up in Chicago October 1, the public will be able to access Angel Trees at six areas Walmart stores starting October 29.
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