We decided last week that we wanted to do some donations this year via angel tree–those trees you see in the mall where kids fill out what they want for Christmas.
We thought we’d pick out two or three kids with wishlists that felt manageable for us and buy what we could.
But all of the lists were for things like Wiis, or MP3 players, or clothes without any sizing information.
Has anyone ever donated via angel tree? Are these the same wishlists you saw? What did you do?
Sounds like the one you drew from was VERY poorly managed. All of the ones I’ve participated in have included a broad range of items (from inexpensive to moderate – like all $50 or less). Clothing sizes were given, etc., with help from parents or teachers (who I think also prevent things like Wiis from being listed).
Since you’ve committed, you might consider giving gift cards, accessories rather than clothing (scarves, mittens, sunglasses, what-have-you), or things like activity books or toys if you know the age of the child.
We haven’t committed. We didn’t pick out any of the angels since we just had no clue how to go about getting the gifts and there wasn’t anyone there with information.
Oh, I see. I thought you’d taken some already.
Given that you know this one wasn’t handled well (or is targeting people with much more discretionary income that I have!), maybe you could look for another tree. Or look at Toys for Tots or another similar program. Good luck! They’re really fun to participate in when they’re reasonable!
Thanks. We had never really looked at these trees before and didn’t know if we were just being naive about what to expect or if these were out of bounds. If Dopers had told me that it was simply how they all were, we probably would have sucked it up and gone back and gotten an angel. Wouldn’t have given a Wii, though!
This was just yesterday and they wanted everything in by the 11th, so it’s possible that all the reasonable angels were already taken.
Most years, we use the book tree at the library, where you donate a flat amount (I think it’s been five dollars each) and in turn get pencils or ornaments decorated by the kids. Maybe we’ll go back to that one.
We do this at work every year through the Salvation Army. I’ve never participated, but from what I understand, it’s mostly clothes.
That sounds nuts, jsgoddess. I don’t have a Wii or an MP3 player!
What about donating to Toys for Tots instead? My understanding is that they will happily accept any new, unwrapped* toys. I got a bunch of coloring books and big boxes of Crayolas this weekend to donate to them.
*Not wrapped as presents, I mean. They want them in the original packaging.
I would find out who sponsored that tree and contact them about your concerns. They need to get this right, because it’s not fair to the kids when the organizations makes angels that are unfulfillable.
I agree that this is not normal. I pick an angel (sometimes two) off the tree every year. Normally, there is at least one size written out in the clothing choices and reasonable requests in the “Other” and “Toy” fields.
For example, this year’s angel:
Boy
Age 10
Sleepware 12
Socks has a checkmark
Other: T-Shirts
Toy: Action Figure
Other requests I saw while browsing the tree were soccer ball, walkman with batteries, puzzle, board game and stuff like that. Wii’s and MP3 players are way out there.
I agree with the people who say find another tree, or do Toys for Tots instead.
I’ve gotten angel tree angels before and what I’ve seen is that the most reasonable angels get taken off the tree first. The ones who didn’t put sizes or want really expensive stuff get left on the tree. These are usually the teenagers, IME. One year an entire Sunday School class bought a pair of $75 shoes that a teen wanted. It was the only thing they bought, but it was what he wanted right down to the model number.
In my area the gifts are supposed to be given to the sponsoring organization by Dec 12, so that other arrangements can be made for those who didn’t get picked or in case the one who took the angel flakes on the responsibility. By that timetable, it’s a small window of opportunity to pick an angel.
We have one every year at work, and the requests are all specific. For instance, a woman asking for a full sheet set, a man wanting size 32 underwear, people wanting candy and kitchen towels, etc. My favorite was a kid asking for a chess set.
The one you saw is definitely poorly managed.
I’ve done this a few times as well. Yes, I saw a few requests for video game systems and things I can’t afford for myself; on the other hand, I’ve seen requests for gloves, etc. I pick someone whose wishes I can fulfill and then I do so.
If you want to consider some other way of giving, I’ll second Toys for Tots. You might also want to call a local food bank, find out what they particularly need, and donate a grocery bag or two of it. You might also want to check with your employer and see if you can to have a collection barrel for the food bank where you work. That way, not only do you do something, but your efforts are multiplied.
We do the Angel Tree every year… our tradition is to go during one night of Hanukkah in lieue of gifts for the kids that night 
(or we go earlier, if Hanukkah is late). There are always size guidelines for the clothing. The kids sometimes do ask for things like Gameboys or bikes but I’ve never noticed a Wii. I’d think the folks who do the paperwork would discourage that simply because those are unavailable (plus the pricing issue as well).
We have in fact bought a gameboy at least once. It was pricey but we figured it was the kid’s main big gift; even so at 80ish dollars, which we could afford, it wasn’t insane. Mostly we concentrate on the clothes, and we try to stick with the major retailers (Target, TRU etc.) for the purchases so they can be exchanged easily.
The OP’s Angel Tree sounds disorganized, especially regarding the lack of sizes. Actually an MP3 player isn’t that crazy a request - they aren’t all that expensive unless you go for a high-end iPod.
A sidebar: this year, the Angel Tree actually listed senior citizens. Another time we might do that, but usually we concentrate on kids because, well, it helps show our kids that not everyone can afford nice things and also they identify more with kids.
I would love to donate to seniors as well. But we are apparently in the Land of Sucky Angel Trees! Grr.
I love to do this. I usually spend a lot of time looking for a kid that wants something unique. There are a lot of teenagers who want generic clothes or CD players. When I see something very specific listed, I get the feeling that the kid really really wants it. I’m always amazed that people get the expensive gifts. There are always several bicycles here.
As far as I know we don’t have angel trees here, but my friends involved in corporate giving have said they’re always short on gifts for teen boys. It’s cheap and easy to buy for the little ones (soft toys, picture books) and the teenage girls (make-up, jewellery, journal), but the average teenage boy wants the sort of stuff mentioned in the OP - consoles, iPods, and computers.
In the future I’d love to buy an unbelievably awesome gift - like a Wii with 5 games - something that would just make some kid’s year. A guy I know donated a bike, which is pretty cool.
I’ve heard this as well. Back before the mp3 players were so common and popular, a social services organization contacted a group I volunteer with and specifically asked if we’d be willing to buy some discmans and other kinds of teen-friendly gifts. They had a real need for this kind of thing, so we bought a bunch of those in lieu of the usual “adopt a family” or toy donation.