/ Christmas Angel

The Salvation Army's "Christmas Angel" program has become a beloved tradition throughout Arizona. It is an opportunity for people to reach out to children in need in a very personal way. Last year, a very generous community assisted more than 60,000 children right here in Arizona with new clothes and toys for the holiday season. This year, the need will be just as great.

"Christmas Angel" trees can be found in malls throughout the Valley and Prescott. Each of the trees is decorated with "Christmas Angel" tags that represent a boy or girl under 12 years of age. These are children whose families have qualified for holiday assistance through The Salvation Army and have met the criteria established by the organization.

To get involved in the "Christmas Angel" program, simply remove the tag from the tree, "check out" the angel with a volunteer and then shop for your angel(s). Return your gifts to the tree, unwrapped, and The Salvation Army will take care of the rest.

Thank you!

Arizona Mills (Entrance 4 in front of Off 5th -- Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet)
5000 Arizona Mills Circle, Tempe
(480) 491-7300

Arrowhead Towne Center (Lower level, Robinsons-May Court)
7700 W. Arrowhead Towne Center, Glendale
(623) 979-7777

Chandler Fashion Center (Lower level, Sears Court)
3111 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler
(480) 812-8488

Desert Sky Mall (East of Center Court near Mervyn's)
7611 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix
(623) 245-1400

Fiesta Mall (Lowel level, Macy's Court)
1445 W. Southern Ave., Mesa
(480) 833-4121

Metrocenter (Upper level, in front of Robinsons-May)
9611 N. Metro Parkway West, Phoenix
(602) 997-2641

Paradise Valley Mall (Robinsons-May Court)
4568 E. Cactus Road, Phoenix
(602) 996-8840

Phoenix Spectrum Mall (Center Court)
1703 W. Bethany Home Road, Phoenix
(602) 249-0670

Prescott Gateway Mall (Near Sears Court between Barnes & Noble and Just Sports)
3250 Gateway Blvd., Prescott
(928) 443-0067

Scottsdale Fashion Square (Upper level, Nordstrom wing, near American Eagle)
7014 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale
(480) 990-7800

Superstition Springs (Lower level, Robinsons-May Court)
6555 E. Southern Ave., Mesa
(480) 396-2570

The trees are also placed in various locations in Florence, Casa Grande and Flagstaff.

The Salvation Army does a tremendous job of registering children for the "Christmas Angel" program. Unfortunately, registration is now closed for the holiday season.

For those families still requiring assistance, The Salvation Army offers an invitation to attend its Congregate Christmas Dinner, which is held on Christmas Day at Phoenix Civic Plaza, 225 E. Adams St. Doors will open at 10 a.m. with activities for children and dinner will be served at 11:30 a.m. Every child will receive a Christmas present as they leave the dinner with their family.

The "Christmas Angel" program has been a tradition in Arizona for 18 years. Generous, caring angels purchase gifts of toys and clothing for angels in need.

If you would like to make a donation by credit card to the "Christmas Angel" program, please call 1-877-853-6395.

To make a gift online, please visit The Salvation Army's Web site at www.salvationarmycares.org. Donation opportunities are also available at each of the "Christmas Angel" sites in participating malls.

Last year, generous individuals enabled the "Christmas Angel" program to provide "Christmas cheer" to more than 60,000 children across the state. Through your support, we are confident that we will continue to make Christmas wishes come true this holiday season.

The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 52177, Phoenix, AZ 85072

The Salvation Army's "Christmas Angel" program can become a family tradition in a variety of ways, not just by purchasing new clothes and toys for children in need.

Volunteers are needed at the mall locations where "Christmas Angel" trees are located. The four-hour shifts may vary slightly, but the estimated time blocks are:

9 a.m.-1 p.m.
1 p.m.-5 p.m.
5 p.m.-9 p.m.

Volunteers are needed to check out and record Angel tags after they are selected from the trees.

Volunteers are also needed to receive and bag the gifts to be shipped to The Salvation Army's Christmas warehouse.

Your gift of time and energy is a very precious commodity. Please call Marsha Pearson, volunteer manager for The Salvation Army, at (602) 267-4117 to discuss opportunities.