Christmas is a time for family and a time for giving, and in a time of prosperity, it can be easy to overlook the fact there are families who do not have the means to give to the ones who mean the most to them - their children.
No parents want to have that feeling of hopelessness at Christmas if they are unable to put a gift under the tree for their children. The look of sadness on a child's face who is unable to understand the situation would be terrible. And if they could understand, the feeling could be even worse.
Thankfully there are programs such as Angels Anonymous, which seek to ensure no child is left without a gift to open on Christmas morning.
For the 15th consecutive year, Dairy Queen in Carlyle is participating in Angels Anonymous, a program which gives gifts to children who might not otherwise receive a gift this Christmas.
People wishing to "be an angel" this year for a boy or girl can drop an unwrapped gift off at Dairy Queen, which is located on the south side of highway 13 in Carlyle. If anyone needs some inspiration or wants to make this a family project with children, he or she can come to Dairy Queen and take a card with a "boy" or "girl" and age designation from the Angels Anonymous tree.
All the donated gifts under the Angels Anonymous tree are transported to the Salvation Army in Weyburn where staff and volunteers distribute them to children in need.
The presents must be left unwrapped in order to ease the sorting process in Weyburn, but people can bring them in gift bags.
People are encouraged to bring their donated gifts to Dairy Queen no later than Dec. 15, in order to ensure the presents reach children in time for this Christmas. However, if gifts arrive later and do not find a home this year, they'll be put aside until next Christmas. These donated gifts are also used throughout the year in the event of an emergency, such as a house fire.
Although the gifts go to Salvation Army in Weyburn, some do make it back to this area to help those in need right here at home. In the past, some have stayed here after discussions with social workers who spoke up on behalf on a family need.
