Operation Warmheart, Angel Tree Program give happy holidays to military families Published Nov. 15, 2010 By Connie Hempel 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- 'Tis the season for giving and the first sergeants here are making sure that no Team Goodfellow family is forgotten. With donations made to Operation Warmheart and the Angel Tree Program, families facing hard times can receive just a little extra, making Thanksgiving and Christmas a little more enjoyable. About 200 families here - from all branches and Defense Department civilians - usually receive assistance through these programs during this time of year. Operation Warmheart is a program that receives, manages and distributes funds to those in need. Monetary donations from the wing and community are made throughout the year to help meet Goodfellow's needs, but the focus during this time of year is collecting food items for baskets to be distributed to families at Thanksgiving and at Christmas. The First Sergeants Council has been in the commissary collecting food items for Operation Warmheart baskets every Saturday in November; their last collection date for Thanksgiving baskets is Nov. 20 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. For Christmas basket donations, they will be present at the commissary Dec. 4, 11 and 18 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. A donation box has also been placed at the commissary exit for those who miss the collection dates, but are still interested in helping out. A list of needed food items can be obtained at the commissary entrance. Typical items include any non-perishable foods that families normally eat during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Families identified for Operation Warmheart are also part of the Angel Tree program. "If a family needs help at Thanksgiving, there's a good chance they need help during the holidays too," said Master Sgt. James Baxley, 316th Training Squadron First Sergeant. The Angel Tree Program collects gifts and donations for children during the Christmas season. Each base runs its Angel Tree Program differently. The first sergeants here work with the exchange to place a tree in the lobby adorned with small paper angels. Each angel represents a military child in the program. This year, the Angel Tree will be put up at the exchange Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. and donations can be made until Dec. 24. Listed on each angel is a gift card dollar amount someone can purchase for donation and leave at the exchange customer service. On Christmas Eve, the gift cards are given to military children who otherwise may not see many gifts under their own tree. While the gift cards on the tree must be purchased at the exchange, people can donate gift cards from other stores as well as unwrapped gifts to any first sergeant on base for distribution. Agencies in the San Angelo community usually donate unwrapped toys to help Team Goodfellow meet the needs of its military children, but if there aren't enough toys or gift cards for every child on the tree, the first sergeants use leftover funds from Operation Warmheart to make sure everyone has something. "If we still have people out there that we need to take care of, we'll find a way to purchase more gifts," Sergeant Baxley said. With the help of supervisors, first sergeants identify individuals in their unit who could benefit from either program. Names are collected throughout November and both programs are open to military and Defense Department civilians, of any branch or rank, student or permanent party, married or single. Individuals who feel they could use some help during this time of year should talk to their supervisor or first sergeant. "We depend on our supervisors to identify people. If they don't, the program won't work," said Sergeant Baxley.
