PRESCOTT - Dorothy Braxton examined several of the dozens of white tags affixed to an Angel Tree late Saturday morning at Gateway Mall before pinpointing the name of a child whose life she wanted to brighten.
The experience was nothing new for Braxton, a retired nurse who has donated gifts to the Salvation Army's annual Angel Tree Christmas program in Prescott for the past decade.
"I've always had a lot of feeling for people, especially around this time of year," Braxton said as she clutched the tag in her hands. "It could be a very difficult time for people, so I just thought this is one way to help a little bit."
Prescott's Angel Tree program, which kicked off at the mall this month and continues through Dec. 22, reaches out to the community for assistance in buying gifts for underprivileged children in Yavapai County.
Braxton chose a 4-year-old boy who, like many others, craves clothes and toys.
"This program makes it easy for people to donate and gives you a real sense of what the holidays are all about," Braxton said. "I just want the children to be able to get up on Christmas morning and have stars in their eyes."
Jeri Castronova, formerly of Prescott, traveled from Sedona to drop off a gift, which she has done for the past eight years.
"I bought a nice purse and decided I didn't want it, so I went and bought something else and decided to donate that," Castronova said. "There are so many kids in low-income families, especially this year with the economy down, that I just want every kid to have a gift and have food in their bellies for Christmas."
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On Saturday Gwenna Layman, an Angel Tree volunteer for the past 12 years, registered gift-givers at a table across from the Barnes & Noble bookstore.
Those who wish to donate select a tag with a child's name on it that's hanging on a string from one of six Christmas trees stationed near the table. Each person then hands it to a volunteer and fills out a short form for record-keeping.
The buyer gets the tag back and can spend a few days shopping for the clothes, shoes and/or toys that the child wants. The tag lists the youngster's requests.
When a gift-buyer finishes shopping, he or she hands off the unwrapped presents to a volunteer, who ensures that they are routed to the right family. The parents of the child later pick up the gifts at the mall and wrap them.
"The reason why I come back year after year is the diversity of the people that give and the reasons why they give," Layman said. "A lot of people come up and say, 'The Salvation Army helped me out one year and now we're giving back.'"
Gift-givers also can buy for teens ages 12 to 17, who ask for $35 gift cards to shop on their own. In addition, it's not uncommon for folks to donate money or buy presents not assigned to a particular child on the Angel Tree.
"A few years ago, a construction worker just kept bringing $100 bills and left no name and no receipt," Layman said.
To donate to the Angel Tree in Prescott, visit the mall at 3250 Gateway Blvd. during business hours, which are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
