GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, IN. --- Grissom Airmen embraced the holiday spirit through the annual Angel Tree program during the December Unit Training Assembly.
The Angel Tree program is an initiative that ensures children within the Grissom community receive gifts and clothing during the holiday season.
Organized by the Military and Family Readiness Center, the program features a tree adorned with angel wings that list the number of children within a family, their ages, clothing sizes, and a wish-list.
“It’s heartwarming to see how the gifts donated impact the receiving families, and to see the community come together and take care of one another,” said Patricia Cotton, M&FRC director. “You have to take care of the people in order to take care of the mission, and that’s what we do here at the Military and Family Readiness Center.”
Sponsors, or “angels,” as Cotton, refers them, chose one or more families to sponsor and then delivered wrapped presents back to the M&FRC, where they were received during the December UTA.
This year, the program ran from early October until December 7th, and had 32 families registered, all of whom were received by an “angel.”
In addition to receiving the gift donations, the registered families were also provided food that had been donated through the annual Food Drive. Families were given a bag and able to select the food items they wanted amongst the donations.
Cotton said, “[the Angel Tree Program] is a testament to how the community comes out to help one another…and it brings awareness and serves as a reminder to others that there are people who need help out here.”