Supporting artists by purchasing Native American jewelry is usually my go-to method of showing my appreciation for Native culture. Coming up on the holiday season, I thought it would be a good idea to show some of the giving spirit this year. I wanted to donate to a good cause and while I was researching online, I found the Angel Tree program. This program helps to gather donations of toys for Native American children across 14 different counties.
The ceremony brings together everyone in these communities and has them choose an ornament from this beautifully decorated Christmas tree. These ornaments have the names and information of a child in the program and allow people in the area to buy a toy for that child.
How You Can Get Involved with the Angel Tree Program
You can simply visit their website to view a full list of events that this program endorses and use the contact information at the bottom of the page to get involved.
The great thing about this program is simply the sheer number of communities it impacts during the holidays. Over 2,000 children received gifts last year because of these hard-working people. There’s nothing better than seeing the look on a child’s face when they get something they wanted for the holidays, especially when they’re in need.
It was so easy to get involved too. I don’t personally live in the area; I was just visiting for the week. I contacted the organization and they said I could participate.
I ended up buying a Transformer for a little boy. It probably meant the world to him and didn’t even cost that much.
I think most people can afford to put in the time and effort to make someone’s day during the holidays, even if it’s not with this program. There are plenty of organizations out there with similar programs to help kids receive gifts for the holidays.
This one was simply near and dear to my heart because of how it was set up. Gathering an entire community around a large tree to help children is exactly what the holidays are about.
I wish you all a happy holiday and hope you keep reading my blog well into the next year.