COLORADO SPRINGS — A local Colorado Springs Salvation Army Chapter has issued a statement after a barrage of social media posts and comments said there were issues with the toys children had received following the distribution of Angel Tree gifts.
Angel Tree is a community-wide event that seeks to have individuals buy presents for children less fortunate in our community.
In a post to the Facebook group 411 for the 719, a mother said that the Angel Tree gift pick-up she received was the wrong gift and was not her child's name. When she told staff about the issue she claimed they were very dismissive and told her to not make a big deal about it on Thursday.
This post received hundreds of comments and shares with apparent parents sharing similar situations in the comments.
"Happened to me too, got gifts for 1 out of 3 kids. And they were not very nice," one user wrote. "It was a hot mess today, I heard that it was ran differently this year," another wrote.
The Salvation of Army of Colorado Springs issued a statement Friday after the post had garnered so much attention and online chatter, you can read that statement below.
Yesterday, The Salvation Army blessed nearly 500 families with over 5,000 toys!! It's heartwarming to see the generous outpouring of toys from the community and the selfless volunteers that allowed us to serve a record number of families and children through our Angel Giving Tree program.
The efforts of the community are what drive this program and make the seemingly impossible, possible. However, like any human endeavor, mistakes can occur especially when coordinating and distributing this massive number of toys.
We are committed to ensuring that all the toys get into the hands of needy children and families in time for Christmas and encourage any families receiving the wrong toys to contact or come to The Salvation Army to exchange the toys.
The spirit of the Angel Giving Tree program is rooted in generosity and community support, and we’re taking proactive steps to address any concerns and maintain the integrity of this longstanding program. We offer our sincere apologies and welcome families to reach out to us at 908 Yuma Street or (719)636-3891.
Any remaining toys after all families receive their gifts will be distributed to needy children through our programs and partners prior to Christmas. The Salvation Army is overwhelmed and grateful for the generosity of this community which has made Christmas merrier for thousands of children.
The Salvation Army of Colorado Springs plans to have the remaining toys distributed through Christmas. But if you are a family affected by the mix-up you are asked to call 719-636-3891. If you and your family were affected by this issue we want to speak to you, send us an email to news@koaa.com.
News5 has reached out to The Salvation Army to see the scope of the issue and how many toys were potentially mixed up. We are awaiting a response.
EDITORS NOTE: News5 is a sponsor of this event but has nothing to do with gift distribution, and is choosing to report on these events.
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