Chapel Office hosts Angel Tree giving collection

By admin

Posted on December 6, 2019

By Staff Sgt. Matthew Coleman-Foster | 50th Space Wing Public Affairs

SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — The 50th Space Wing Chaplain’s office is partnering with the Ellicott School District and first sergeants to support community children through the Angel Tree program.

The program is an annual toy and clothing drive for children on base that runs through Dec. 17.

“Here we use a Christmas tree decorated with angels or satellites cards, where people can pick up a card with information about a child they can sponsor with a gift for Christmas this year,” Maj. Martin Adamson, 50th SW chaplain said.

Last year, Schriever Airmen supported 54 families in the local community through the Angel Tree program, the most sponsored by the base yet.

“We have really generous Airmen here,” Adamson said. “Everyone wants to help out, especially this time of year, and our Airmen are no different. They want to help to bring a little joy into somebody’s life.”

Adamson said there are two angel trees on base decorated with candy canes, angels and bells. “We have angel trees set up in the Building 210 Atrium and right outside the dining facility in Building 300,” he said. “Anyone can sponsor a child by going and picking out a card.”

The cards on the tree do not reveal the recipient of the gift, but they do about the child’s age and gender.

“Once [we receive] the names of members from the local community and the base, we create angel tree tags with minimal personal information,” Staff Sgt. Lathaniel Bryant, 50th SW religious affairs noncommissioned officer-in-charge. “We as the chapel staff have created a coded system to track the list of names submitted. Once a tag is chosen from one of the two trees our office is contacted and at that point we share with the donator the size of clothes as well as the interests, wants, or needs of the particular child. This process ensures privacy is guarded.”

Schriever’s chapel team, first sergeants and volunteers will collect gifts from those who participate and wrap them for delivery to families on the installation and students in the Ellicott School District.

“We still have angels on the tree right now, but eventually those will run out,” Adamson said. “There are always people coming by our office and asking if we have any more angels.”

Once gifts are collected, the chapel team will have a gift wrapping party in the chapel resource room in Building 300.

“If anyone would like to come to the wrapping party, we will be set up in the resource room to wrap gifts and deliver them later in the week,” said Adamson.

He went on to add he believes the program itself helps foster the connection between Schriever Airmen and the Ellicott community.

“This program can help the local community realize we’re a part of their community and we have Airmen who want to help too,” he said.

For more information or to volunteer, contact the 50th SW Chaplain’s office at 567-3705.