Community pours into Angel Tree project
Nov. 29—Megan Bolte held up a phone with her sister on FaceTime as she and their mom, Lori Jernigen, looked at cards on the Angel Tree last year.
The family members said at the time they picked several cards from the Angel Tree at the McAlester News-Capital because it was another way they could help people in need over the holiday season.
"Mom always bought what she could when we were little so we just want to help everybody and try to give them the best Christmas that we can," Megan said.
The family members continued the family tradition and said they used the experience to teach Ashley's young children about what they called Christmas magic, or giving to people in need over the holidays.
They reminisced about previous holidays and Lori said her children would often put their Christmas gift money toward helping others — several times at the most available Angel Tree.
"They would say 'I just want my money to go for an angel,'" Lori said. "Then we'd pick an angel out and spend the money."
The McAlester News-Capital and the McAlester Lions' Club started an Angel Tree three years ago and partnered with Tolliver Chevrolet this year to provide even more clothes and toys for children in need during the holidays.
"We wanted to help address a need in our community and are so fortunate to have the support of the McAlester Lions Club, Tolliver Chevrolet, and so many people to bring back the Angel Tree project and make it bigger than ever," MN-C Publisher Reina Owens said. "Our community's children deserve to have happy holidays and the merriest Christmas."
Megan and her family said they missed out the previous year on the initial Angel Tree three years ago.
However, they still found people to help after searching for similar events around McAlester and Oklahoma City — and Megan said the family is ready for this year's event.
"We're ready for it!" Megan said several weeks before the Angel Tree became public.
The Angel Tree started three years ago as idea to help community members during the holidays at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
News-Capital representatives and Lions Club members started the project and community members poured in support from the first day.
People selected more than 150 angels on the first day the tree became available three years ago — and 278 children in need received a gift and clothes in the inaugural event.
Olivia Pizano's eyes welled with tears as she and her family picked out angels from the inaugural Angel Tree to help local children.
She said seeing others in need during the holidays led her family to help with the project and pick out angels for whom they would provide clothes and toys.
Olivia said she hopes her daughter, Emma, learns compassion and to be grateful through helping with the angel tree project.
Last year's event helped more than 300 children in and around Pittsburg County and Tolliver Chevrolet partnered to help make the project even bigger this year.
Angels are placed on a tree at the News-Capital to represent a child in and around Pittsburg County needing assistance over the holidays.
Each child on the tree is anonymous and receives at least one outfit, shoes, toys, jacket, and gloves — along with one small toy.
Children qualify to be on the Angel Tree if they are from a family experiencing financial crisis.
School counselors and administrators can help determine which children can benefit from the Angel Tree project and submit their names for consideration.
"School staff are the ones that see the students in need day-in and day-out, and know the families experiencing financial hardships," Owens said. "They help us identify students in the most need of help over the holidays."
Every angel on the tree gets numbered and anyone purchasing gifts for an angel must number the gifts. Gifts must be new and unwrapped.
Sponsors for angels can contact the News-Capital office any time to register their name and number for staff to send them an angel after all nominations have been received.
Anyone who would rather make a donation or volunteer to shop for angels can also contact the News-Capital. Checks need to be made to the McAlester News-Capital Angel Tree.
Donations of new unwrapped toys, hygiene items, wrapping paper and holiday gift sacks will also be accepted.
Volunteers and staff will help package and deliver everything to designated areas for the angels.
"It's always amazing to see the community support for this project as we aim to help children in our area have a merrier Christmas," Owens said.
Contact Adrian O'Hanlon III at aohanlon@mcalesternews.com
