FORT RUCKER, Ala. (December 1, 2011) -- With the holiday season approaching, Fort Rucker's Catholic Parish seeks to spread Christmas spirit to children who might otherwise go without by providing two Angel Trees in the Main Post Chapel and post exchange.
"I've coordinated this program for over 10 years now. It is a lot of work, but truly it is a labor of love. The Main Post Chapel gets to be an extension of Santa's workshop for a few weeks. It is absolutely overwhelming," said Therese Erthal, parish coordinator.
The children are selected by Army Community Service based on need, and their information including age and genders are included on tags hung from each tree. In previous years, the Fort Rucker Angel Tree has provided hundreds of needy children with thousands of gifts.
The cutoff date for returning Angel Tree gift is Dec. 14, and the gifts will be on display at the chapel until representatives pick them up gifts for the children.
"We ask is that those that participate return their gifts unwrapped. (Our) elves and I will take care of that. They can include wrapping paper or a gift bag, but the gift itself needs to remain unwrapped. (We hope people) stop by and see just how many gifts are collected," said Erthal.
Over the many years since the program began, Erthal said she has seen the impact it has on Families and children in need.
"We are a military Family. We take care of one another. Whether active duty, Family members retirees, or civilians, it's simply Family taking care of Family. It's a chance to ensure that these Families have a brighter Christmas. For certain, it's a chance to find out that Santa truly does exist in the hearts of people in our community," she said.
For more information, call 255-9894.
Social Sharing