On the first Friday of every month, members of the Women’s Leadership Coalition gather to talk, listen to a guest speaker or take a field trip to a local business.
This holiday season, several members of the coalition will meet the community’s needs in a different way: by giving to the Salvation Army Christmas Angels program.
Photos courtesy of Michele McTeague
“We’re taking a big chunk of kids and families and having all of our clients bring gifts to the Christmas party on Dec. 3,” says Michele Cook, coalition member and owner of Body Ache Escape.
The coalition, established by the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce, was formed to offer local female executives the chance to network and build relationships in the community. Members are encouraged to support area nonprofits, and Christmas Angels fits the bill for a number of them.
Much of the connection to the Salvation Army is due to the work of coalition member Michele McTeague, resource development manager at the Salvation Army’s Lancaster branch and owner of Allvera Body Wrap & Wellness Center in Pickerington. McTeague and her husband have served for 20 years with the Christmas Angels program, through which families in need can create wish lists of household items or toys to be purchased by well-wishing strangers.
“Some adopt one child, and some adopt a whole family,” McTeague says. “On the kids’ wish lists, we include age, gender, favorite color and favorite sports team. The kids can ask for one big item like a bike or video game, and we list their clothing sizes for anything from socks to coats.”
The day the presents are distributed, the Salvation Army rents out and decorates a warehouse at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds, where a SWAT team helps hand out gifts to parents.
“It’s fun to see these big burly guys brought to tears when someone hugs them and thanks them,” McTeague says.
Last year, the organization added a new dimension, allowing the individuals coming to collect gifts the opportunity to give their thanks.
“There was this woman who is raising her 16- or 17-year-old grandson. He wanted to work with law enforcement and help people in recovery from drug abuse,” McTeague says. “I happen to know the person who adopted them; it was my neighbor. Her husband owns a recovery house. With permission of both parties, we were able to connect them. It was so meaningful to both of them.”
McTeague views the program as both an eye-opener and a way to give to those in need.
“When you have your own child and you think about the children that won’t experience that joy on Christmas morning, if you have an empathetic bone in your body it will break your heart,” she says. “I felt we needed to do something for these kids who wouldn’t know that if not for the Salvation Army. It’s a charity that has people’s best interest in heart, regardless of their beliefs. Need has no boundaries for the Salvation Army.”
Individuals interested in contributing to Christmas Angels can learn more via the program’s website, www.sachristmasangels.com.
Jaya Pillai is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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