When the holiday season comes around and people start to send their lists to the North Pole, Angel Tree works around the clock to make sure no kids feel left out on Christmas morning.  

The deadline for gifts to be turned in is on December 10. Gifts can be turned in to whichever tree the person got their ornament from or the Mammen Library. 

“Christmas is magical and I want it to be that way for every child,” Local Angel Tree director Cindy Hurst said. 

Angel Tree is a community effort, worked by volunteers who focus on being able to provide for families who may need extra help during the holidays. The volunteers sometimes even bring their own children to help with the cause. 

“I see so many moms bringing their children and teaching them that giving is just as important as receiving” Hurst said.

Angel Tree has been in the area for six years, with each year being led by Hurst. 

“It’s (the program) gotten big,” Hurst said. “I think the first year we were able to serve about a hundred kids and we were doing it out of storage units because we didn’t have a building or anything to work in so we worked in storage units where it was cold and rainy. It was crazy. And now, last year we served over five hundred kids and about a hundred and seventy five families.”

During the covid pandemic there were many doubts for many programs. Questions like if they were still able to follow their normal schedule or if they could do it a safe way were raised. So, for the first year ever, Angel Tree had a drive through pick up for all the families to insure the safety of them and volunteers. 

“The hard part is that it’s touching but makes your heart hurt at the same time,” Hurst said. “We have moms and dads that call us afterwards in tears and tell us how much they appreciated our efforts. It just means the world to us.” 

Angel Tree also works with places like Target, Guadalupe Valley Telecommunications Cooperative (GVTC), local schools, Provisions food bank and the Hope Center to provide supplies and items for families. 

“Home Depot just gave us a grant for a hundred and fifty heaters for our families, [because] we don’t just do toys, we do heaters for families, we do blankets for families, and we do a food drive for our families,” Hurst said. “We try to hit the needs as well as the fun stuff too.”

Each year during Christmas, the Angel Tree community comes together during the busy season to celebrate and help those around in need. 

“There is so much against us, so much that we’re dealing with everyday but when we join together and we do something because it’s the right thing to do or we give up ourselves,” Hurst said. “It pushes that dark past, and it pushes that way from us and brings light into the world. That’s what I want people to know.”