For the fifth consecutive year, the LaSalle Ministerial Alliance (LMA), in partnership with the LaSalle Parish School System’s (LPSB) APPLES program, ministered to the needs of many families during the Christmas season through the Angel Tree Christmas Program.

This year, the Angel Tree program was able to minister to the needs of around 228 children, thanks to the participation of local churches, businesses and many individuals in LaSalle Parish.

“LaSalle is a great community that does its best to care for its own and shines during opportunities like this,” LMA President Heath Harris said. “The Alliance would like to send heartfelt gratitude for every family and individual who donated money, gifts, and/or time and together made a difference in the lives of these children and their families.”

On Saturday, December 9, hundreds of children and families descended upon the LMA Celebrate Recovery complex (former cafeteria of the old Jena Elementary School on US 84 East) where Christmas gifts were distributed along with many more acts of kindness.

“Each parent (of the Angel Tree child) filled out a detailed list of clothing sizes and two ‘wished for’ items in preparation for Saturday,” Harris said. “Each child receives up to five gifts each for a total of $125. Each list is anonymously given to an Angel sponsor – the person who really makes the program a success.”

Also at the Angel Tree Christmas Program distribution day were many volunteers from various churches and organizations to help distribute presents to children, load boxes of free food for families and give away many other gifts and items, along with free hot dogs.

Thanks to the Convoy of Hope, over 300 bags of groceries, cereal and water were also distributed. There was a total of more than $28,000 in gifts, $3,000 in food, cards and many other special items for all who attended.

“It was a great day seeing so many people working together for the kingdom of God,” the President said. “This is what real Christianity is all about – serving others and sharing the love of Christ.”

Although the distribution of gifts occurred December 9, the program actually begins months earlier as the LMA works in conjunction with LPSB APPLES Coordinator Missy McEntyre, who helps identify children in the school system who are in need of assistance during the holidays.

“It’s important to understand that APPLES is different from the Angel Tree Program but both work together to help meet the needs of children in our parish,” McEntyre said. “APPLES is specific in that it assists children who are defined as ‘homeless’ and the grants we receive for this program must be exclusively used for those children. Some children in our parish are needy, but not homeless, and that’s where the Angel Tree Program steps in to fill that gap.”

Many years ago, McEntyre realized the gap and began the Angel Tree Christmas Program in conjunction with the APPLES program, however, it didn’t take long to realize the need was so great that it would require more people becoming involved. “The needs and number of children just kept increasing and it became more than one person could handle,” Harris said. “That’s when the Alliance stepped in to help relieve some of the load from Missy.”

That was in 2019 and that year, Harris and just a handful of volunteers, worked the Angel Tree Program for the many children that were on their list.

The “list” is achieved in cooperation with the LaSalle Parish School System. Again, due to the fact that so many are not considered homeless but are in need of assistance, there are no better individuals to recognize those needs than personnel within the system who work with the children throughout the school year.

“But let me be clear concerning one important matter,” McEntyre said. “We are very careful to abide by all privacy laws during this entire process and go to great lengths to contact the parents to make sure they approve of their child’s name being placed on the Angel Tree Christmas Program list.”

“And we are also very protective of each child and their family as well to make sure we don’t violate any laws and also to not have anyone embarrassed in any way through our efforts,” Harris added. “Also, each person that chooses to be an ‘Angel’ to a child does not know the name of the child or children they are sponsoring… it’s completely anonymous.”

A week after the Angel Tree distribution, McEntyre and a handful of volunteers were at the Jena Walmart early Saturday morning, getting ready for 294 children in the APPLES program to shop for their Christmas presents.

“We were supposed to have 294 children who had been given vouchers to shop but only 264 showed up,” McEntyre said. “Still, it was a great morning of shopping as these children and their parents were able to shop for Christmas presents. The rule was they had to shop for Christmas presents for themselves and they had a great time doing just that.”

McEntyre said that with a new Louisiana law that went into effect this year, the school system is no longer allowed to conduct their APPLES raffle that is normally held to raise money for the APPLES Christmas Shopping Spree held each year.

“Thanks to money raised from Chris and Kim Poole with their Dirt Track Derby Race in 2022, we had enough money to still have our shopping spree this year without the raffle,” she said. “We were able to have the raffle for over 20 years but not this year, which is why our students weren’t selling them this year and receiving prizes for the top sellers.”

Without the APPLES raffle, McEntyre said they will have to rely upon donations from the community in a greater capacity for future Christmas.

“So, every dollar matters and is greatly appreciated,” she said. “If anyone is looking for a great investment in the lives of children, this is something I would highly recommend.”

Harris said the Angel Tree event has been held one a weekday for the past four years but this year the decision was made to conduct it on a Saturday.

“By having it on a Saturday instead of a weekday, we were able to have many more volunteers on site to help in many different ways,” he said. “It went so well that we’re looking at keeping it a Saturday event next year as well and we look to build with more community partners to make it even bigger.”

Local churches participating in the Angel Tree Christmas Program were: Bellevue Baptist, Crossroads Baptist, Jena First Baptist, First Mount Nebo Baptist, Fellowship Baptist, L&A Missionary Baptist, Life Church LaSalle, Lifepoint Assembly of God, Mars Hill Baptist, Nolley Memorial Methodist, Pritchard Baptist, Prosperity Baptist, Sanctuary Family Worship Center, Searcy Baptist, Straight Road Full Gospel and Temple Baptist.

Businesses and organizations that contributed included: Carietta Masonic Lodge, Convoy of Hope-Springfield, MO, Cousins Feed & Seed, Eden Fire Department, Jena Fire Department, Jena Police Department, LaSalle Baptist Association, La-Salle Celebrate Recovery, LaSalle Economic Development District, LaSalle General Hospital, Triangle Pharmacy, Universal Plant Services and Wild Horse Ministries.

In addition, 26 individuals in LaSalle Parish contributed, donated or sponsored children.

“The Angel Tree Ministry is a partnership between the La-Salle Ministerial Alliance and the APPLES program that connects local churches, businesses and families to qualifying students in need annually,” Harris concluded. “But really, our purpose is to simply do what Jesus commanded.”

For more information or to find out ways to become involved with the Angel Tree Christmas Program, contact Harris at (318) 992-0793, email at lasalle. alliance@gmail. com, or visit lasallealliance. org. They also have a Facebook account under the same name.

For more information about the LPSB APPLES program or to donate for Christmas next year, contact McEntyre at (318) 992-2161 or email at mmcentyre@lasallepsb.com.