We hear the stories everywhere during the countdown to Christmas.

Monday, December 13, 1999

We hear the stories everywhere during the countdown to Christmas. They appear in our newspapers, on our television screens and sometimes at our next door neighbor’s house.

They are stories of children who will not receive new clothes, new shoes or even gifts under the living room tree. They are stories of families who are hurting.

But most importantly, they are stories that can be changed with a little help from our Christmas spirit.

One project stands out as a way to help – the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree project that provides a way for each of us to sort of adopt a child during the holidays.

In addition to the Salvation Army taking donations, two trees are set up at Wal-Mart in Burlington and Ames in Ironton.

On each tree are paper angels listing the first name of a needy child, clothing sizes and a hint about one of that child’s Christmas wishes.

Store patrons can pluck a name off the tree and add that child to their shopping list.

It’s not hard to pick out an extra pair of sweatpants, a jacket, a pair of shoes or a small toy and add it to the shopping cart.

When finished shopping, just leave the gift at the service desk with the name card and the store will make sure it gets to the Salvation Army for distribution to one of the more than 900 Lawrence County children whose parents filled out applications for the Angel Tree project.

The next morning, or on Christmas morning, think of the joy spread to that child and the child’s family, merely because of a small gift that took little time to pick out.

Who knows, that one gift may become the inspiration that lifts the entire family out of depression, or opens a window into a heart which had given up on hope in this world.

We can make a difference.

And it doesn’t take much of our time to do it.