Ligonier’s Angel Tree program is one of our community’s most popular holiday programs. Organized and overseen by The Salvation Army, Angel Tree provides local families in financial distress with quality, new, age appropriate gifts to be opened for the holiday season.
Participating members of the community are given tags with a child’s age, gender, and toy preferences, and they are asked to purchase a gift for that child. Those gifts are collected together and given to families before the Christmas holiday, to be wrapped and placed under the tree for children to open on Christmas morning. Every child in our community should have a merry Christmas, and the Angel Tree program ensures that will happen.
In Ligonier, the program is also paired with The Salvation Army’s Operation Santa Clause food pickup program, which provides a Christmas dinner and food vouchers to families experiencing food insecurity.
Epiphany Church in Ligonier provides the Salvation Army a web page for all Angel Tree Program information. Below, you’ll find important sign up information, dates, contact information, FAQ’s, and more.
I’d Like To Receive Help
Note: Families who have participated in past years have been sent information in the mail, and will be contacted via phone to follow up.
If you think you’ll need help this holiday season with Angel Tree gifts or a holiday dinner through Operation Santa Clause, the community of Ligonier is here to help! Please let us know AS SOON AS POSSIBLE if you are in need of assistance this Christmas. The later we wait to hear from you, the less likely it will be that we can coordinate help. Please call one of our local Salvation Army contacts below to see if our program matches your needs
We plan to have toys and meals collected and ready for distribution at Waterford Christian Church on Saturday, December 18, from 9am to 12pm.
I’d Like to Give, or I’d Like A Tag
If your business, church, or community organization would like to participate in our Angel Tree program by receiving tags to purchase gifts, we’d love to have you! See our business/organization contact below. Tags will be distributed the week of November 8. Volunteers will be collecting toys from organizations starting Monday, November 29. We would ask that shoppers with tags plan to spend between $15 to $20 on a new toy or clothing item as indicated on the tag.
Important Dates
- November 1 – the deadline to register to receive gifts from The Angel Tree program.
- Week of Nov. 8 – tags will be distributed to local businesses, churches, and community organizations.
- Week of Nov 29 – tags and gifts will be collected from the community. Volunteers will begin meeting to organize and sort the collected gifts.
- December 18- Angel Tree Gifts pickup
- Location: Waterford Christian Church. 856 Nature Run Rd, Ligonier, PA 15658
- Thank you in advance for your flexibility as we organize our toy drop off according to changing COVID-19 restrictions and protocols.
FAQ’s
Who is eligible to receive Angel Tree gifts for their children? Who is eligible to receive a Christmas dinner through Operation Santa Clause? What are the requirements?
The Angel Tree program is designed for children aged 12 and under whose families are in financial hardship (as defined by The Salvation Army). Operation Santa Clause is open to anyone in financial hardship that registers with The Salvation Army. These programs are specifically for families in the Ligonier Valley. If you are not a resident of the Ligonier Valley, contact the Western PA Salvation Army at (800) 454-1156 to find the program serving your community.
Is there an age limit for the program?
Yes. Angel Tree is a program for children aged 13 and under. There is no age limit for our Operation Santa Clause Christmas Dinner.
How many children apply for the program?
Depending on the year, we will supply gifts for between 80 and 120 children. Christmas dinners will also be supplied to around 120 families.
Will my gifts stay local?
If you shop for a specific child through one of our Angel Tree tags, then yes: we can guarantee your gift will go to a local child vetted through the Salvation Army.
I just discovered this program, but I missed the deadline! Can I still participate?
If you’re looking to receive gifts, contact the local Salvation Army Office ASAP for more information. See our volunteer’s phone numbers below. We may not be able to accommodate personal gift requests, but we will do everything we can to ensure your kiddos have age appropriate Christmas presents.
For organizations that want to purchase Angel Tree gifts and families that want to receive them, we will do our best to accommodate you after the deadline!
Who is Epiphany Church and what is their relationship to Angel Tree?
Angel Tree has been a community program for a number of years. It is overseen by the Salvation Army and their volunteers. To ensure the program runs smoothly, Epiphany Church in Ligonier offered to assist the program with a webpage that was social media friendly and easy to access.
Contact Info
For any extra questions, please call one of our volunteers:
- Ligonier Salvation Army Contact
- Marge Burns (724-238-9384)
- Sally Henderson (724) 238-3484
- Business & Organization Signup
- Teri Tuscano (724) 516-0373
- Mailing Address
- Ligonier Salvation Army, PO BOX 19, Ligonier, P.A. 15658