Zach Simoneaux unloads Angel Tree gifts from a truck Dec. 10, 2025, at the Salvation Army in Bloomington. Angel Tree registrations, a Salvation Army program that allows donors to buy gifts for children in need, opened Oct. 1 and closed once the program reached capacity at 400 families this year. Families submitted information to the Salvation Army, including proof of residence and their children’s clothing sizes, shoes and toy wish lists, to qualify for the program, which donors then used to purchase gifts. Kaya Jackson and Indigo Morrow stack packed Angel Tree gifts into labeled boxes Dec. 10, 2025, at the Salvation Army in Bloomington. Jackson, president of the Gamma Nu Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, said she planned to return Dec. 13 with her boyfriend to volunteer again. “I feel like college can move so fast and obviously Bloomington is a primarily college community," Jackson said, "but students tend to kind of be so focused on themselves, so it's good to just slow down and pay attention to people who might not get the most attention all the time, and just give back to people outside of yourself." A hallway is lined with toys Dec. 10, 2025, at the Salvation Army in Bloomington. The toys were delivered by donors during the Salvation Army’s open hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Left to right) Kaya Jackson, Trinity Williams, Imani Chambers and Talayeh Marshall, volunteers from the Gamma Nu Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, pack Angel Tree gift bags Dec. 10, 2025, at the Salvation Army in Bloomington. As they worked, volunteers talked about the toys they asked for as children, such as Rainbow Looms. A room nicknamed "Santa's Workshop" is pictured Dec. 10, 2025 at the Salvation Army in Bloomington. The room contained supplementary toys and clothes in case a gift had missing items or needed items swapped out. Kendra Young and Imani Chambers prepare Angel Tree gifts Dec. 10, 2025, at the Salvation Army in Bloomington. Items that were missing or incorrect were supplemented using additional donated gifts reserved for waitlisted families or incomplete orders. A box filled with Angel Tree gift bags stands Dec. 10, 2025, at the Salvation Army in Bloomington. Each bag was tagged for a specific child and reviewed by volunteers to ensure gifts matched wish lists and clothing sizes. “Somebody told me recently that when they were a child, they thought that the Salvation Army was Santa Claus,” said Vinal Lee, co-director and pastor of the Salvation Army in Bloomington, “and now that they’re an adult, they’re still convinced that that’s true.”
PHOTOS: Salvation Army brings angel trees to life this holiday season
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