'Tis the season! Halloween is still a few weeks away, but Angel Tree applications are open now.
The Salvation Army is urging families who need a Christmas miracle to apply now and not wait.
“We need to make sure that we get all the information and all the verifications of the families, because once we hit the number that we're meeting, that that site will go away,” says Major Randy Hartt, Northern Nevada Coordinator for The Salvation Army.
Shortly after the list is complete, the Angel Trees themselves go out around town, with tags for every child.
“They go with the first name, the age of the child, male or female, and wish list,” Hartt says.
Hartt says the Angel Tree program brightened the Christmas spirit of thousands of northern Nevada families in 2025.
“We had over 9,000 toys for children that we collected,” he says, “and then also, we were able to do over about 1,049 food boxes."
They also put together over 2,100 gifts for seniors through the Silver Angel Tree.
“It was just amazing what we were able to do for these families,” says Hartt.
If you would like to partake in the season of giving, Angel Trees will be at area Wal-marts, Meadowood Mall, Corwin Ford, and various other locations around Reno-Sparks.
The trees will start going up the week before Thanksgiving and should all be ready by Black Friday.
All you have to do is grab a tag, follow the shopping list, and bring those items back to the same place.
Hartt says last year's success is a reflection of our community.
“We live in a great community who really cares for its neighbors in need,” he says, “and we couldn't do what we do right now, and during this season and all year through without our generous neighbors."
Angel Tree applications are now open online.
If you own a business and would like an Angel Tree, you’re asked to call The Salvation Army Reno Corps at (775) 688-4555.
