A steady stream of cars pulled into the Salvation Army headquarters in Dallas to pick up Angel Tree gifts on Thursday.
"Pull them all the way down so we can get cars off the street," volunteer Jennifer Giles-Baker said as she directed a line of cars through the Salvation Army front parking lot, greeting drivers. "You have a really holiday. Be blessed!"
"It's so amazing when you see the shelves filled with red bags," Salvation Army North Texas Area Commander Major Dawn McFarland said. "And you know on Christmas morning, individuals who thought nobody cared about them at Christmas are going to know that North Texas cares for them."
This is a busy week at the Salvation Army. Every 15 minutes, 25 families pick up their Angel Tree gifts. There is an army of volunteers curbside, and in the warehouse, helping make that happen.
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"I grew up pretty privileged," Ryan Ragnell said. He started volunteering with the Salvation Army Angel Tree program in high school and never stopped. This week, Ragnell is volunteering with a group of his Southwest Airlines coworkers. "Working around here and seeing people's faces light up when they get their gifts, things they wouldn't get normally, it created a new perspective for me that I wouldn't have otherwise had."
The planning for next year's Angel Tree campaign starts next week. "I already have a running list on my phone," McFarland said.
