Fifth grader Charlie Borowczak has been adopting angels through the Salvation Army's program for a long time. So long, in fact, that he can't really remember all the details on how he got started. His mom first told him about the program when he was just six years old, and he has been dedicated to it ever since. Charlie said he had to take a year off in 2012 because he broke his leg, and had trouble regaining his momentum in 2013, but was determined to make 2014 a banner year.
Charlie does "odd jobs" throughout the year, such as pet sitting, vacuuming, and cleaning windows. He plans to add washing cars when he turns 15. Charlie saves all of the money he earns throughout the year. "I made a promise to myself when I started this, that I would never spend the money on anything else," he explains.
With his hard-earned money in hand, Charlie heads to the Angel Tree at NorthPark to select his angels, spending $100 on each child. He raised $700 this year, the most yet, and even encouraged a cousin to join him. With the $400 added by his cousin, Charlie was able to select 11 angels from the tree. Once he selects his angels, Charlie shops for gifts and takes them to the Salvation Army to be delivered to the children. "I plan to keep doing this for as long as I can," Charlie says. "It makes me feel good and lets me be Santa to a lot of kids."
Along with the familiar red kettles, the Angel Tree program is one of The Salvation Army's highest profile Christmas efforts. Angel Tree was created by The Salvation Army in 1979 to provide clothing and toys for children at Christmas time. In the Metroplex, the program includes Angel Trees in ten shopping malls and on-site at more than 400 area corporations, churches and organizations. The local communities have fully supported the Angel Tree program, making it possible to help more than 50,000 North Texas children and seniors each year.
Ringing In The Holidays
Lakehill Headmaster Roger Perry and members of his administrative team took a break on Monday to ring in a little cheer for the holidays and to help those less fortunate. The Salvation Army's traditional red kettle is an integral part of the holiday scene, with millions of dollars donated each year to aid needy families, seniors, and the homeless, in keeping with the spirit of the season.