December 1st; the temperatures have dropped, snowflakes start to fall, and bright Christmas lights and decorations have been put out. The holiday season has officially begun: families are thinking about which gifts are going to be wrapped and put under the tree, making sure to check off every toy; Christmas movies have begun playing in every home while special holiday treats are whipped up in kitchens; the overall joy of this season fills the air.
However, for thousands of families in Kentucky, this is not the reality. Restricted by the rise in prices, demand for food on the table, and little to no wiggle room in the budget, the holiday season doesn’t have the same festive feel. However, through the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program, these families are given a boost of support.
The Angel Tree Program helps children from low-income families receive new toys, clothing, and shoes for Christmas, bridging the gap for struggling parents and bringing hope to children who might otherwise go without gifts. At participating stores like Walmart, Kroger, and various malls, Christmas trees are placed at the front of the store and filled with “angel” tags, awaiting a shopper to choose one and fulfill a kid’s wishlist.
Similarly, another branch of the Angel Tree program is called the Senior Sleigh. This program allows community members to fulfill Christmas wishlists for isolated seniors in nursing/assisted living facilities, ensuring they receive gifts and feel cared for during the holidays. Through this, cheer can be spread and loneliness combatted by connecting donors with seniors who might otherwise be forgotten, providing needed items, and fostering a sense of connection to the broader community.
Over the past 40 years, participation in this activity has been even-handed, but recently things have changed.
This year, social media influencers have certainly promoted and boosted the program. The creators have gained millions of views across the world for their videos that say “Hey, come shopping with me for an Angel Tree kid…” or “Come shop with me for a senior on the Senior Sleigh list…” It has now become a trend, as influencers are encouraging their followers and viewers to donate through the Angel Tree Program. This media attention has led to a 70% increase in participation, with Salvation Army branches reporting a surge in tags claimed and a higher volume of gifts donated. Such an increase has enabled more families to experience the holiday season to its fullest.
Looking deeper into this trend, it has begun to reach closer to our Woodford County community. More specifically, students at Woodford County High School are seeing this trend on their social media platforms. Whether that’s scrolling through their TikTok feed or Instagram reels, these Angel Tree/Senior Sleigh videos are becoming more prominent in their everyday lives. In fact, close to 50% of students report seeing these videos pop up a lot, with 41.7% saying they sometimes do.
But how do these Influencer videos impact the students at Woodford County High School, and how do they believe it is affecting our community as a whole? When asked this question, students Maya Atanga and Savannah Johnson spoke out with profundity and purity; Atanga stated, “The holiday season is cheerful, but it can be a really trying time for some families. Living in such a tight-knit community as Versailles, we need to recognize this time as an opportunity to reach out to others and bridge the gaps created by food insecurity, financial struggles, and other challenges our neighbors face.” She continued with this inspiration, stating, “I’m using Angel Tree/Senior Sleigh as inspiration to look toward others in this time.” Correspondingly, Johnson shared a viewpoint directed more towards the Senior Sleigh, saying, “I work at a senior living facility and not everyone that lives there has family that comes to see them, let alone get them gifts for Christmas. So, most of my residents don’t look forward to the holidays because they have no one to celebrate with. Something as simple as getting them slippers or a pair of socks means a lot to them.”
Altogether, influencers have definitely driven the higher participation in both the Angel Tree Program and Senior Sleigh. Encouraging these programs benefits both the recipients but also the donors, as we all get to experience community unity. So, will you be the next to be inspired to donate, or will it take a couple more TikToks or Reels?
