The Spiritual Centre and Connections are pulling together to try and make sure every child gets a gift this Christmas with the introduction of the Angel Tree program. The program, which kicked off Monday, Dec. 1, is aimed at students attending the college in financial need who have young children. Applicants had angels hung on the tree for them. Those who are interested in donating can take one of the angels off the tree, buy a gift, and give it to Customer Service, who will be handing out wrapped gifts on Dec. 17.
“[We’ve] wanted to do this for the last couple of years,” said Kate Baynes, the retail marketing and promotions coordinator, who is responsible for the coordination and direction of the project. The project remained in limbo during this time, lacking a very specific resource. It needed someone who was willing to work on it full time for it to come to fruition.
The idea for the angel tree came from outside the college. “It’s been done by supermarkets, Walmarts, and other charities,” said Baynes. This year the Ottawa Boys and Girls Club is running an Angel Tree program, as well as the Salvation Army and Carleton Place, who’ve been running one for the last six years.