ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 and the Salvation Army partnered together Tuesday to provide a better Christmas to those in need.
With the rise of housing costs and inflation, many families who adopted angels for Christmas in previous years are now in need themselves of angel adoption.
News 6 hosted a phone bank on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29, with the Salvation Army to continue helping those in need. Viewers were able to call 888-436-6665 to donate toward the Angel Tree program or text “LOVE” to 24365.
In total, the phone bank managed to raise over $337,000 — $250,000 of which came from Scott and Carmen Moscrip from Light Orlando. The pair donated the sum at 7 p.m. to help the phone bank reach the unprecedented total.
All the money raised during the phone bank will go toward making sure an Angel has a present to wake up to on Christmas morning.
“Our community has endured several challenging events this year. From hurricanes to steadily rising costs, we all could use a little extra hope this holiday season,” said Capt. Ken Chapman, area commander of The Salvation Army. “Hope is what we will bring as our incredible partners, WKMG News 6, Chick-fil-A, The Mall at Millenia, and BFARR Contracting work together in this effort. Together, we can make a bigger difference.”
The first Salvation Army Angel Tree of the season debuted on Nov. 18 at the Mall at Millenia.
During the Angel Tree kickoff at The Mall at Millenia, shoppers heard music from The Salvation Army’s band, had the option to take angel tags from the Christmas tree and conveniently shop the mall’s stores for angel gifts. Angels can also be adopted online at the.salarmyorl.org/angeltree.
Additionally, Angel Trees will appear in participating Walmart stores, giving local shoppers the opportunity to select an angel to purchase or drop off gifts onsite.
Once purchased, gifts can be returned to the onsite Christmas tree or taken to The Salvation Army’s Administration Offices at 416 W. Colonial Drive in Orlando on Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“Each year, we look forward to the Angel Tree experience, as we know it brings such joy and can be a life-changing moment for thousands of children and seniors,” said Capt. Jessie Chapman, area commander of The Salvation Army.
Those who prefer to do their shopping online can visit https://the.salarmyorl.org/registryforgood and shop The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree registry. Through the site, customers can shop for gifts and have them sent to 416 W. Colonial Drive in Orlando.