Holiday Assistance

The Army celebrates the holidays each year by providing gifts to children and individuals in need. Involving more than a dozen projects, programs, partnerships and fund-raising activities, the program provides toys, clothing, food, coats and shoes to families in need.   Programs include:

Food Drives throughout the community feed the hungry at Christmas. The Salvation Army, churches, schools, businesses and civic organizations conduct local food drives to collect non-perishable goods. These are then distributed to those receiving Christmas Assistance through The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army Angel Tree program makes available to the community thousands of angels to adopt.  Each angel represents an underprivileged child.

The Red Kettle Drive supports the social service programs of The Salvation Army throughout the year.  Individuals and community groups volunteer to ring bells at various kettle locations in the area.

Coats for Kids, sponsored by Puritan Cleaners, collects donated new or used winter coats through Puritan Cleaners outlet throughout the holiday season.  Puritan cleans and repairs the coats, at no cost, and delivers them to The Salvation Army to be given to needy families.

The Silver Bells program is similar to the Angel Tree program.  Senior citizens in designated nursing homes are adopted by residents in the community

The WRVA Salvation Army/Alden Aaroe Shoe Fund raises funds for the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs programs.

FOX Holiday Socks, a joint venture with FOX Richmond, encourages members of the community to pick up empty stockings from the Army and fill them with toys for the children.   Empty stockings are available at all Dr. Baxter Perkinson & Associates Family Dentistry & Orthodontics locations.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch Christmas Mother Fund raises money to provide needy children with gifts and toys. Each year an individual is selected from the community to represent the newspaper as the Richmond Christmas Mother. Donations are collected in her name and given to The Salvation Army for the purchase of food and toys for needy children.

Because of COVID 19, some of these programs may be canceled.