VIDEO: Angel Tree Wish Lists

ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – When Christmas rolls around, Christmas trees pop up, but not just decorative ones, angel trees do too.

Angel trees have been around for many years, helping less fortunate families provide Christmas gifts for their children.

You’ve seen the trees decked out with paper angels.

Each has a child’s name, age, and a list of items they need and want for Christmas.

Many people pick an angel and buy those items for the kids.

The groups that sponsor these trees say the items have changed over the years.

Christmas is a time of giving and many people choose to give back by adopting an angel from the angel tree.

When you turn over the paper angel, you’ll find a wish list that may have anything from clothes to toys, and sometimes more.

“Technology is changing, gifts are changing, and so kids are asking for bigger and better things, of course just like people they go to school with, so yeah, it’s changing,” says Aberdeen Angel Tree Director, Sara Nerren.

Some of those wish list items have sparked debate on social media.

On one side, some people say kids shouldn’t be asking for the big ticket items such as technology, others disagree.

Ken Mangum believes if you’re giving back for the right reasons, it shouldn’t matter whether you agree or disagree with the items.

“Basically, would tell them to open up their heart and be happy about what they’re seeing and realize, hey they were kids once too. Maybe they asked for something that somebody back then thought may have been a little bit outrageous, and you know, above and beyond, but guess what they’re kids.”

Nerren says she encourages parents to try and make the list realistic for the child and for the person donating the items.

“I haven’t had anybody come to me and say, ‘I didn’t pick a child because it has this and this on it,’ but I do have people who probably come and look at angels and kind of choose another one that doesn’t have something such as, an Ipad or a big token item on there.”

Nerren says she ensures each angel on the Aberdeen tree has a great Christmas and wants people to remember this if they have any doubts about certain items.

“I grew up wanting things that other child had and that’s completely natural, and you know, as children we’re taught to dream, and you know, I just wish that adults would continue to dream as well, and look back on what it was like in their childhood and think about that, and put it in their conscious to give back in ways that they wanted to receive as a child too.”

Nerren says a Facebook live video promoting the Aberdeen Angel Tree brought in donors from different states and other parts of Mississippi.

There are a few of the 60 angels left and if you’re interested in adopting your own Aberdeen angel, the deadline is December 8th and the donations must be turned in by the 14th.