Mesquite Gives To Angel Tree, Toy Joy Programs

By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree and Joy Toy Programs came to fruition on Friday, Dec. 17 when parents of the young beneficiaries of these programs came to pick up the gifts.

The coordinator volunteer for the Salvation Army again this year was Eileen Loffredo. Loffredo and her volunteers spent hours at the Jimmy Hughes center receiving, sorting and packaging the gifts by family name to make the final distribution easier.

“We are bringing joy to approximately 350 children through this Angel Tree and Joy Toy Programs this year,” said Loffredo as the donated gifts were stacked up, filling the room.

The culminating pickup of gifts on Friday was well organized. At 9 am there was a line by the door. One family at a time was let in. After signing in at the Salvation Army check-in desk, the family was led to their parcels. Everyone qualified to be tagged on the Angle Tree and Toy Joy has been vetted by the Salvation Army as eligible for the program.

A three-person team of young missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acted as Santa’s helpers and helped locate and carry parcels out to the waiting vehicles.
Adelina Pinto was there picking up gifts for her three kids. “I love this,” Pinto said, expressing appreciation for this community giving program. “It is good for my kids!”

Salvation Army Director, Bill Ennis was enthusiastic about the holiday spirit shown in the community through the Angel Tree and Joy Toy programs.
“We have very generous people in Mesquite that provided donations to help those families that are in need,” Ennis said. “We also have various organizations and Church’s that donate, however want to remain anonymous.”

Ennis felt fortunate for the et remendous support from the community shown for The Salvation Army of Mesquite; both during the holidays and throughout the entire year.

“People come to me and ask: ‘What can we do to help out?’,” Ennis said. “It is during this time of the year that the kindness and generosity of our community really comes out. And that shows by the amount of compassion the people have. This is true, as I stated, throughout the entire year.”
Ennis said said that between the Angel Tree and Toy Joy, 154 families were provided gifts this year.

“Because of the generous donations this year, we were able to fill all of the applications for Christmas,” Ennis said. “And we even have some (toys) left over for birthdays throughout the coming year.”

For being supporters of the Salvation Army programs and making this possible, Loffredo expressed specific appreciation to Fringe Hair Salon, Colonial Management, the Veterans Center, Sun City, Mountain America Credit Union, Mesa View Hospital, Highland Manor, Nevada State Bank, Precision Eye Care, TDS, Reliance Connects, the Mesquite Recreation Center and Senior Center.

“Golf Fore Kids was another huge participant in this program,” Loffredo added. “Many thanks to Rob and Brian Wursten, Karen Fielding and the 500 plus golfers who participated in that.”

Ennis also sent out a “very warm and humble Thank you” to the citizens of Mesquite. “Their generosity made this year another very successful one for The Salvation Army,” he said. “Every day I am so humbled by the compassion and caring of this community, and I am so enormously proud to call Mesquite home. “