Columbus Junction group organizes ‘Angel Tags’ as holidays near

COLUMBUS JUNCTION — Trees decorated with small paper cards and red ribbons have popped up in the Columbus Junction area over the last month, with more businesses adding displays in recent days.

The aptly named “angel tags” each contain a short wish list from a local child. Those who take a tag off the trees commit to finding something from the list, and delivering it to organizers in an effort to improve the holidays for nearby families in need.

"It’s not really about the presents, it’s not really about all that other stuff, but it is special for a kid to open gifts on Christmas morning,“ said Aurelia Burroughs, founder of the Christmas Angels Program which runs the drive. ”We want to make sure that every kid in our community, as far as we can, will have something to open up.“

Burroughs said the program held no small degree of personal importance, as well. Growing up with a single mom, she said her family had seen its own share of difficult holidays.

“I’ve seen where my mom has had to use this program, now that I’m older, I didn’t know then,” she said. “I have seen friends have to utilize this program … I know that for many, if not most of these families, the gifts that we provide will probably be the only gifts that the kids get.”

While the tags started as an initiative of the local Community Action Group, the Christmas Angels Program stepped in to help boost its reach several years ago. Shortly thereafter, the organization took over the drive entirely.

The group reaches out to locals through area schools, news outlets, and social media every year, seeking families below a certain income level to sign up for a spot on the tree. This go-around, they’ve put 112 tags on trees, by Burroughs’ estimate.

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That’s slightly less than last year, something she said was encouraging.

“A lot of the families that we have worked with in the past are in a better place financially, so they don’t need our assistance anymore,” she said. “Or, other families have gotten better-paying jobs and … they kind of moved on from this, which is great, it’s what you want to see.”

This season, the trees and tokens went up earlier than normal. Burroughs said the moved-up schedule allowed more flexibility in the setup process, before Columbus Junction businesses held their annual “Family Night,” a tradition on the first Wednesday of the month where establishments stay open late and numerous shoppers head out on the town.

“It seems like that has helped push the tags a little more,” she said. “A lot of the tags were already taken, we’re putting more out as families have come in, or as we’ve had to double check sizes or wish lists.”

Gifts from the angel tags are due by Dec. 15, deliverable to The Thirsty Camel, where the pickup event is arranged at a later date. The Christmas Angels Program also accepts monetary donations to do some of the shopping themselves, and offers to pick up gifts from buyers unable to drop them off personally.

“We try to make it as easy as possible for everyone who wants to help,” Burroughs said. “It’s just people helping people, and I love that. Big ways or small ways, every single dollar that comes our way helps tremendously.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com