Salvation Army Angels get their toys

Teenagers Emily Butler and Karly Taylor helped carry one bag after another filled with toys Tuesday.

Butler, 15, and Taylor, 16, both of Dothan, joined several hundred other volunteers at the National Peanut Festival grounds as part of gift distribution day for the Salvation Army Angel Tree program.

“Around Christmas I think it’s important to help others that aren’t as fortunate so they can get presents for their kids,” Butler said.

Taylor said she and Butler came to help out after some of their friends texted them about it.

“We’ve just been grabbing bags of toys for the kids, and taking them outside,” Taylor said. “It’s fun helping people. It makes me happy.”

Wiregrass Salvation Army Capt. Jani Criss said the Salvation Army had nearly 300 volunteers helping with the 2011 Angel Tree program, which she said included some from the Rehobeth ROTC program, the Dothan High School SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) program and Cloverdale Baptist Church among others.

Criss said volunteers helped organize all the gifts, putting them into bags for each family inside a large warehouse at the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds. She said volunteers also helped carry the bags of toys for the families to their car in the parking lot.

“I think we had more volunteers this year,” Criss said. “I can not survive without the volunteers. I only have four employees.”

Ann Powell was one of many volunteers who wore a white T-shirt to help designate themselves as volunteers at the event.

“It’s amazing because we’re helping a lot of kids ,” Powell said. “ I chose to come out here because I wanted to make sure all the kids have a merry Christmas . I was here from 9 in the morning yesterday to 12:30 at night helping set everything up.”

Criss estimated probably around 2,500 families received toys and / or food as part of the Salvation Army Angel Tree program.

Criss said some of the gifts collected by families Tuesday ranged from bicycles to Barbie dolls, remote controlled cars, video games and even bed sheets and diapers. She said children age s 12 and under were eligible for toys and families were eligible to receive food.

Each family received a box of food, which included some meat, bread, about 20 canned goods, a box of potatoes, macaroni and cheese and some cookies.

“This way if we can free up some of their food money then maybe they can afford rent and their power bills,” Criss said.

Vickie Driggers worked at the front-line registration table helping match people up with their gifts as they came in the door of the warehouse on the National Peanut Festival grounds.

“I check their applications to make sure it matches up with their sign up number,” Driggers said.

Driggers said it was her fifth or sixth year volunteering with the Salvation Army Angel tree program.

“I am raising two grandchildren and they have helped us out every year, so me and my husband do a lot of volunteering,” Driggers said. “It makes me feel good knowing I have done a little bit to help them (the families) have a better Christmas.”