Hope for the Holidays: How Scranton Corps Brought Christmas to Nearly 700 Kids
This Christmas season, when uncertainty weighed heavily on many local families, The Salvation Army Scranton Citadel Corps answered the call with compassion, community, and action. Amid delayed SNAP and LIHEAP benefits, Christmas Assistance applications opened early—October 1–3—and extended into the evenings of October 8–9, 2025, ensuring working families had a chance to seek help without missing a paycheck.
Parents shared their children’s wishes—clothing and shoe sizes, favorite colors, interests, and gift ideas—transforming simple lists into hundreds of Angel Tree tags. Those tags were placed throughout the community, inviting neighbors to become holiday heroes. Longstanding Angel Tree hosts included Joe’s Kwik Mart (Dunmore), Gryfols Biomat USA (Dickson City), Viewmont Mall, Walmart (Dickson City and Taylor), J.C. Penney Hair Salon, M&T Bank (Old Forge), Fidelity Bank (Dunmore), Pivot Physical Therapy (Clarks Summit), Clarks Summit UMC, Azek Building Products, Cooper’s Seafood (Scranton), the United States Post Office, The Wright Center, Pulaska Light, Allied Service, The Barrel, and Geisinger Mt. Pleasant.
This year also welcomed new Angel Tree partners—Everhart Museum in Scranton and Holiday Hair in Dickson City—expanding the circle of generosity even further.
Community support didn’t stop there. A local Girl Scout troop adopted 75 Angel Tree tags, while a student group from Marywood University adopted another 75—proving that generosity knows no age limit.
Because of these collective efforts, nearly 700 children received gifts through the Angel Tree program. Many also received warm winter coats collected during the 3rd Annual WBRE/WYOU Coats for Kids Drive on October 1, 2025, along with toys donated by the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders during The Salvation Army’s Christmas in July event at PNC Field and their Santa Breakfast.
Additional partnerships made an even greater impact: 80 children were served through the Sheetz 4 Kidz Christmas program, and several families found hope through the Adopt A Family program—where sponsors step in to support an entire household for the holidays.
Behind the scenes, this effort would not be possible without the dedication and leadership of Donna Cole, Office Manager, who coordinates The Salvation Army Scranton Citadel Corps’ entire Christmas Assistance program, supported by Captain Kirsten Childs. From organizing applications to overseeing logistics, Donna’s tireless commitment ensures that every detail is handled with care and dignity.
Equally essential are the many volunteers who gave their time and energy at every stage of the process—assisting with application intake, sorting and packing hundreds of Angel Tree packages into family groups, and locating and loading gifts that often-included large items such as bikes, basketball hoops, desks, and play kitchens.
With heartfelt gratitude, The Salvation Army Scranton Citadel Corps thanks: Patti Reed, Margie Stair, Debbie Price, Bernice Whispell, Barb Olivetti, Bill Olivetti, Alex Olivetti, Connor Griggs, Joy Prendergast, Keith Griffiths, Aaron Cole, Kim Griffiths, Amber Cole, Steve Svetlovics, Mary and Joe Cerminaro. Their generosity of time and spirit helped turn wish lists into unforgettable Christmas mornings.
“Our community showed up in powerful ways this Christmas,” said Captain Kirsten Childs, Corps Officer of The Salvation Army Scranton Citadel Corps. “But we anticipate the number of families needing assistance will continue to grow next year, and we are already planning for that reality.”
With that growth comes new needs. One item at the top of The Salvation Army Scranton’s wish list is a larger, accessible location to host the Angel Tree distribution event. As demand increases, the Corps’ current building space is no longer sufficient to safely and efficiently serve the number of families expected next Christmas season. A donated or partnered space would allow hundreds more children to experience the joy and dignity of the holidays.
You can be part of the solution.
The Salvation Army Scranton Citadel Corps is seeking:
- New Angel Tree hosts
- Adopt A Family sponsors
- And a community partner willing to provide a space for the Angel Tree distribution event
Your workplace, organization, church, or facility could make a lasting difference—turning uncertainty into hope and stress into joy.
If you are interested in hosting an Angel Tree, sponsoring a family, or providing a location for the Angel Tree distribution event, please email epascranton@use.salvationarmy.org. Together, we can ensure every child in our community experiences the warmth, dignity, and joy of Christmas.