The Salvation Army is expanding its most beloved seasonal program this year, the Angel Tree program, where for more than 20 years more than 1,000 local children in Rutherford and Cannon Counties are provided gifts and coats, and clothes each year.

For the past several years data has been collected and families have been tracked to see where the true need is so that The Salvation Army and the larger community can meet the greatest need. The past three years families who are part of the Angel Tree program have received educational classes about successful parenting, budgeting, financial planning and goal setting.

The Salvation Army is excited to include an Adopt-A-Family program this Christmas season. The Adopt-A-Family Program was designed to help individuals who are in desperate need of financial assistance, hope, and caring during the holiday season.

From the families that are interviewed, families are selected that have had extreme, emergency circumstances in the past year to be a part of the Adopt-a-Family Program. The common factor shared by all adopted families is their strong need for special care and extra assistance during Christmas.

Each family is matched with one sponsor who will purchase gifts for each family member including adults. The family profile lists each family member's first name, age, gender, and gift ideas. Families pick up their gifts a week before Christmas and leave the sponsors a personal "Thank You" note from their adopted family.

Need More Information?

If you or a group are interested in participating in the Adopt-A-Family program please contact The Salvation Army directly. The iconic angels from The Salvation Army Angel Trees will still be all around town at your favorite retailers this Christmas.

Regular Angel Tree sign-ups started on October 21st at The Salvation Army in Murfreesboro. More information is available by calling the office at (615) 895-7071.