Organization trying to help 5,000 children and 1,000 seniors

FILE PHOTO - Santa's helpers spread Christmas cheer during Salvation Army's Angel Tree event

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Salvation Army of Orlando on Friday is kicking off its annual Angel Tree program.

This year, the organization is asking to get results for 5,000 children and 1,000 seniors so that they all have something under the Christmas tree this year.

“Angel Tree is to bring hope to people who lost their hope,” Capt. Ken Chapman said.

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At the Salvation Army headquarters in Orlando, work for the program began in the summer with families who started to submit their applications.

“We start Christmas preparations in June, even with News 6 we have meetings and we plan all through that time,” Chapman explained.

Each year, apart from toys and other items, the Salvation Army donates a full stocking full of other small gifts to each child and senior as part of the program, though the real work comes from News 6 viewers when they adopt an angel.

“I have these tags at Mall at Millenia, and there’s a big tree and a lot of the Chick-fil-As in Central Florida will have these and you go and take a tag, and on the tag, it’s listed if it’s a girl or a boy, their age, their sizes, and a few toys that they would like,” Chapman said.

News 6 met some of the angels during a food box distribution earlier this month.

Michell Smith said this is her first time participating in the program in effort to get Christmas gifts for her six children.

“That’s really a blessing because I don’t know what I’d be doing,” Smith said.

Here are the participating Chick-fil-A locations:

Universal Blvd - 9500 McKenna Drive Orlando, FL 32819

Millenia FSU - 4181 Millenia Blvd. Orlando, FL 32839

Ocoee - 10620 West Colonial Drive Ocoee, FL 34761

Winter Garden - 3166 Daniels Road Winter Garden, FL 34787

Black Lake Road - 7891 Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway Kissimmee, FL 34747

Sanford - 4590 W. State Road 46 Sanford, FL 32771

Altamonte Mall - 451 Altamonte Drive Altamonte Springs, FL 32701

Hancock Road & Hwy 50 FSU - 2585 E. Highway 50 Clermont, FL 34711

Hammock Ridge & Hwy 27 - 3365 Hammock Ridge Road Clermont, FL 34711

Orlando Avenue at Fairbanks - 700 South Orlando Ave. Winter Park, FL32789

Lee Vista - 6350 S. Semoran Blvd. Orlando, FL 32822

Oviedo FSU - 32 E Mitchell Hammock Road Oviedo, FL 32765

Hamlin - 15899 New Independence Parkway Winter Garden, FL 34747

Four Corners FSU - 644 US Highway 27 Clermont, FL 34714

Lake Buena Vista - 13448 S. Apopka-Vineland Drive Orlando, FL 32821

Vineland Point - 11709 Daryl Carter Parkway Orlando, FL 32821

Hunt Club - 3050 E. Semoran Blvd. Apopka, FL 32703

Kirkman & Conroy - 4752 S. Kirkman Road Orlando, FL 32811

Sand Lake Road - 7333 W. Sand Lake Road Orlando, FL 32819

Celebration - 6050 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway Kissimmee, FL 34747

Tuskawilla Road - 1454 Tuskawilla Road Winter Springs, FL 32708

University at Forsyth - 3391 University Blvd. Winter Park, FL 32792

Florida Hotel - 1500 Sand Lake Road Orlando, FL 32809

Southchase Plaza - 13085 S. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL 32837

The Loop - 3286 N. John Young Parkway Kissimmee, FL 34741

Casselberry - 80 Oxford Road Fern Park, FL 32730

Kissimmee - 4450 West Vine Street Kissimmee, FL 34746

The Mall at Millenia- 4200 Conroy Road Ste. 245 Orlando, FL 32389

Colonial Plaza Market Center - 2448 East Colonial Drive Orlando, FL 32803

Mt. Dora - 17240 U.S. Highway 441 Mount Dora, FL 32757

Orlando Square - 1800 Sand Lake Road Orlando, FL 32809

Nona - 12801 Narcoossee Road Orlando, FL 32832

Lake Mary Blvd. - 4420 West Lake Mary Blvd. Lake Mary, FL 32746

University at Rouse - 11350 University Blvd. Orlando, FL 32817

Orange Avenue - 2885 S. Orange Ave Orlando, FL 32806

Waterford Lakes - 633 North Alafaya Trail Orlando, FL 32828

St. Cloud - 4360 13th Street St. Cloud, FL 34769

Altamonte Springs FSU - 234  W State Road 436 Altamonte Springs, FL 32714

Maitland Blvd. - 8673 Summit Centre Way Orlando, FL 32810

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About the Author:

Ezzy Castro is a multimedia journalist on News 6's morning team who has a passion for telling the stories of the people in the Central Florida community. Ezzy worked at WFOR CBS4 in South Florida and KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being from Miami, Ezzy loves Cuban coffee and croquetas!