AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – As the Salvation Army of Augusta prepares for its annual Angel Tree gift distribution, the organization is reminding the community that some children are still at risk of being left without presents this holiday season.

Every year, hundreds of local children are sponsored through the Angel Tree program. But when gifts don’t make it back in time—which happens more often than many realize—the Salvation Army must work quickly in the final days before Christmas to fill in the gaps. These children become known as Forgotten Angels.

Nearly 1,300 children across the region are expected to receive Angel Tree gifts this year.  Wish lists often include coats, science kits, hats, gloves, and other essentials.

Villalta says the children most often overlooked are older ones.

“Typically older children are the ones that are the last to get adopted, and that’s who we ask folks to get these supplemental gifts for,” she said. 

“People love to adopt younger children, and that makes sense. At the same time, there’s a lot of older children in our program. Our program goes up to age 12.”

Older kids also tend to receive fewer items because their tags are selected later in the season or, in other cases, the gifts are never returned.

Villalta says staff worried this year’s government shutdown and economic challenges might result in fewer donations, but the CSRA stepped up.

“We’re so grateful to have a generous community. They really showed out,” Villalta said. “Even just here at the Kroc Center, the tree is bare—which is a great thing for us, because it means the community has done its job and we’ve done our job to make sure every child in the area is going to have a Christmas morning.”

For Katelin Moon, who is the general manager at Panera Bread in Grovetown, supporting Angel Tree is deeply meaningful.

She grew up in a family that struggled financially and remembers her mother working hard to make Christmas special.  Seeing families choose tags inside her restaurant brings that experience full circle.

“I grew up with a very poor family, and I’m sure there were times where my mom probably had to use Angel Tree for us to make sure we woke up to a wonderful Christmas,” Moon said.

“It just means the world, because kids are the purest things, and they deserve the world.”

Forgotten Angel Tree tags are available at locations throughout the CSRA.  Some locations may no longer have tags.

• New Moon Cafe – Downtown Augusta
• Panera Bread – Augusta, Evans & Grovetown
• Augusta Mall – 3450 Wrightsboro Rd, Augusta, GA
• Evans Walmart Supercenter – 4469 Washington Rd, Evans, GA
• North Augusta Walmart Supercenter – 1201 Knox Ave, North Augusta, SC

The Salvation Army encourages anyone who can give to consider picking up a tag and helping ensure no child is forgotten this Christmas.