In my position on the April Sound Ladies Association Board I serve as Salvation Army Chairperson. As such, I have decorated jars that change with the theme and color scheme of each luncheon. The jars are placed on each table at the monthly luncheons and are passed for change and paper money collection. The money is counted, and a total is reported at the next ASLA Board meeting.
The treasurer then deposits the money in the ASLA account. The change is kept out and taken to the Salvation Army Headquarters in Conroe, where they count the change and give us the tally for our records. Over the time that I have held this position, I have developed a great relationship with Salvation Army Lieutenant Claudia Guzman and her staff. Â
The Board wanted to do even more as the years went on, so participation in the yearly Salvation Army Angel Tree Program was begun. For those unfamiliar with the Angel Tree Program, parents of children or elderly folks who might not have Christmas gifts may register with the Salvation Army, and their information is added to a tag with their identification number. They can list wants and sizes needed. When the time comes, I tell Lt. Guzman the number of Angel Tags we are requesting, and on a certain day we go to the Headquarters and collect our packet. This year we took 175 tags – 35 Seniors and the rest children of all ages from newborn to age twelve. With assistance from volunteer helpers, we assemble the packets which include a clear plastic garbage bag, an instruction sheet with all the specifics of how to package the gifts and the return date, and my personal information in case of questions or problems.
The monthly luncheon of ASLA is usually on the fourth Wednesday of each month, except for November and December when the luncheons are held on the second Wednesdays. This past Wednesday was distribution day for our Angel Tags. I had wonderful helpers monitoring to assist the ladies with their selections and to make sure the all-important signature and phone number was added on the clipboard beside each tag’s numbers so that we can track each Angel Tag to make sure it is fulfilled.
The gifts are to be returned on or before December 13th when the Salvation Army truck will be in the parking lot for the big collection. On Wednesday most of the ladies attending took at least one Angel Tag. I felt so proud and grateful! However, I still have quite a few to distribute. You do not need to be a member of ASLA to adopt a child for Christmas! If you are reading this and wish to join us in bringing Christmas to those who might otherwise not receive many gifts, please call me and we will arrange for you to come choose your adoptee. My information is: Ann Marie Ricci 936-447-1336 or jamricci@consolidated.net. Let’s try for 100 percent of the tags being fulfilled!
Ann Marie may be reached at jamricci@consolidated.net.Â
