Santa needs a hand

PROVO — With two large rooms filled with presents and a dozen cheerful helpers sorting and delivering gifts, this Provo warehouse looks more like a mini Santa's workshop than a storage area.

The mounds of gifts represent hundreds of donations to the United Way Angel Tree program, which provides poor children with Christmas surprises.

Angel Tree is a part of the Utah County Sub for Santa program. Donors select the name of a child from one of the Angel Trees, which are set up in a variety of locations, and then return to the tree with gifts for the child. Other volunteers then sort and deliver the Christmas packages.

Community support for the program has been enthusiastic this year, said Kate Crowley, volunteer center specialist at United Way of Utah County.

"We've had a great response from the community," she said. "We've had more than 50 volunteers (at the warehouse) so far."

Last Saturday, the Blake family spent some time helping Santa as they sorted and delivered gifts stacked inside the Community Action Regional Food Bank's warehouse in Provo.

Seeing the reactions of those who receive presents is the best aspect of the experience, said 11-year-old Tiffany Blake.

"You go and you see the other kids, and you know they're going to have a good Christmas," she said. "It's just fun to be with my family and to get to go and see other families be happy."

Bikes, dolls and even a small pool table were part of the pile at the warehouse, and the gifts for each sibling in a family must be gathered out of the mound before a delivery can be made.

Sam Dearden, a 15-year-old Boy Scout, is organizing the effort for his Eagle project.

"It's a lot of meticulous work, but it's good to see underprivileged families get gifts," he said.

Families must qualify to receive assistance through any of the Sub for Santa programs by filling out an application and attending a workshop on becoming more financially stable.

The application process creates a positive experience for both the donors and the recipients of the gifts, said Crowley.