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Thank you so much for your willingness to participate in Angel Tree this year.

Angel Tree Christmas works by connecting parents in prison with their children through the delivery of Christmas gifts, sharing a special message from the incarcerated parent with the child and providing age-appropriate Gospel materials for the Angel Tree child.

 We do have many unsponsored children left in different areas of your state.  We wondered if you might consider blessing some of these children by mailing gifts to some in other areas. We have included some suggestions below to assist you if you decide to help in this area.

 Thank you for your consideration in helping with these unsponsored children!

SUGGESTIONS FOR MAILING ANGEL TREE GI FTS

 

  1. Call the caregivers (or send a letter if time permits) to get the gift ideas. (You can use the phone script that is provided.)  Use this as an opportunity to let the caregiver know that you (or your church) will be sending gifts to the children. Explain why you will be shipping the packages. For example, you wanted to participate in Angel Tree and there was a need to help cover children who are not in your area. Please mention that you are excited about purchasing the gifts even though you will not be able to deliver them in person.

 

  1. Since you will be shipping the gifts, ask for gift ideas that will be conducive to shipping. We suggest two gifts per child, one clothing item and one fun gift, about $15 to $20 each. Avoid large, breakable, or heavy toys. You can provide the caregiver with some guidance as you talk.

 

  1. Be sure to confirm the address and make sure that it is a good shipping/mailing address. UPS does not deliver to Post Office boxes.

 

  1. Distribute the angel tags with the gift ideas to members of your congregation or those who will be shopping.

 

  1. When you put the angels on the trees, you can add angel tags with “donation to cover shipping costs” to the tree to cover the shipping costs. These angels should have a specific dollar amount ($15.00) on them. You will need to discuss how the donations will be handled (check/cash) with the church leadership.

 

  1. Once you know how many families/children you will ship gifts to, start collecting boxes from local stores. Grocery stores are usually a good source. You may need to call ahead to see if and when boxes are available. If storage is a problem, you can break the boxes down until you need them.

 

  1. Be sure you have some address labels (with the church as the return address), carton sealing tape, and some newspaper or blank newsprint to use in packing the boxes.

 

  1. Assemble a team of volunteers to help with the sorting and packaging of the gifts

 

9.       Please include a card/note to the children to let them know that the gifts are given on behalf of their dad or mom in the name of Jesus and order evangelism materials from the Angel Tree Outreach catalog included in your kit or request free booklets from One Hope Ministries .  The Special Edition Book of Hope for Children of Prisoners is specifically designed to address the heart-felt needs and issues that children with incarcerated parents face today. The child will understand their true value and potential in this world, read about children just like them, learn about the life, teachings and miracles of Jesus Christ, and explore fun and challenging activities. The Book of Hope also provides a Bible timeline, the Salvation Message, and Next Steps in their new walk with Him.

This book is available FREE to all churches who participate in the important Angel Tree program this year! Along with your kindness and care, you can also provide these wonderful children with God’s eternal Word. To order your quantity, call 1.800.GIV.BIBL (1.800.448-2425) or email the publisher at info@onehope.net.

 

  1. You can use whatever method you choose to ship or mail the packages. If time allows, mailing is usually a little cheaper.

 

  1. Be sure to call or send a note (postcard) to the caregiver once the package is shipped. Let them know they should be on the watch for it. You can have the package shipped “confirm delivery” for a small fee.

 

  1. 12. Send a note to the incarcerated parent to let him/her know that you purchased gifts (you can mention what you purchased) for his/her child. Please feel free to share the gospel or a brief reason about why you were glad to do this. These parents are very thankful to have someone care about them and their children. You can use this as an opportunity to minister to the incarcerated parent.