Scott County Angel Tree has nearly 100 angels still needing to be adopted

AUSTIN, Ind. (WDRB) -- In a year that's been tough on so many families, the Scott County Angel Tree program has had challenges of its own.

Michelle Beare, helps run the program, knew last year would be the program's final year to work out of its typical building in downtown Scottsburg after the lease expired. It wasn't until recently that a local church in Austin stepped up to help.

“It has been a very difficult year trying to find us a space to work out of," Beare said. "Grace Covenant Church had a building that sits behind their church that they offered for us to be able to work out of for the season."

Beare said the space is very much appreciated.

"I don’t know where we would’ve been working out of or how we would’ve been doing the program this year," she said.

Without a building for registration season, numbers for the angel tree are down a bit this year. But there are still hundreds of kids enrolled.

"We were having to take applications from our clients in local parks, and so the word necessarily wasn’t get out a lot," Beare said. "But since now everybody knows the program is continuing through the pandemic, we have had people contact us through either social media or other people to do applications."

Beare said there are more than 400 children on the Scott County Angel Tree this year. It serves kids up to 16 years old. Just more than one week away from giveaway day, not every angel has been adopted.

“Actually, there’s quite a few angels still on the tree at Walmart," Beare said. "There’s probably, I would say, 100 kids still sitting on the tree that need to be filled.

“We’re hoping some people in the community can step up and go pick an angel this weekend off the tree. A lot of times, this is the only things these kids get new all year long."

Beare said The Salvation Army has donated several bicycles and toys, but she still needs more community support to help these children on the angel tree get their gifts and clothes for Christmas.

"With the pandemic alone is a big thing, but also, Scott County is one of the poorest counties in Indiana," she said. "The need is always great for the services."

Beare is also working to deliver food baskets to people who are elderly or disabled in Scott County. That program is in need of donations, like non-perishable food items. Beare said community members can come to the church building she's working out of to drop off donations. It's at the corner of Cherry and First streets in Austin. Drop offs are from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Food baskets will be delivered on Dec. 16-17.

Angel tree donations will be given out on Dec. 19 at the Jayce Ray Stallings Youth Center in Austin.