Tyler children get Angel Tree gifts

TYLER – On Friday, 2,000 local kids received bags of joy from the Salvation Army of Tyler for their annual Angel Tree program according to our news partners at KETK. On Wednesday, 350 senior citizens received their presents. The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program has been providing gifts to local children and seniors for more than 40 years. Families write their wish lists and needs on cards which are then placed in grocery stores and malls for local donors to pick up.

“It’s a blessing because they get to wake up to multiple gifts, not just one gift and they also get to have clothing items, shoes, as well as blankets,” angel mother Yulisa Pena said. “On our wishlist we asked for cars, building blocks and baby dolls.”

Distribution began at 9:00 a.m. on Friday and the line for Angels to get their bags wrapped around the parking lot. “It’s a powerful statement of just a community that loves each other,” Salvation Army Captain Robert Coristo said.

Coristo said that through the Angel Tree he’s getting the chance to give back to the very organization that changed his life.

“I found out years down the road that my parents would get our Christmas presents from Angel Tree, and for that feeling of them knowing, ‘man, it’s been a tough year, but today it does not matter.’ They got joy in their eyes and excitement,” Coristo said.