Adopt An Angel from the Angel Tree at Murphy Homes in Downtown Madison

Explore, Family, Resources

November 23, 2021

I don’t remember many specific gifts that I received for Christmas as a child, but I do remember going to pick an angel off of the Salvation Army Angel Tree at Madison Square Mall. I remember shopping for that angel and the lessons I learned from that experience. It’s funny how I can still recall the joy I felt as I carefully selected certain clothing items and toys for a girl I’d never meet but who I hoped would smile when opening these gifts purchased just for her.

The Salvation Army Angel Tree program is still going stronger than ever, and Murphy Homes in downtown Madison is a location site for selecting an angel to shop for this year. This is their fourth consecutive year to host a tree of angels, and this year their goal is to have all 100 angels selected and provided for.

All angels are children under 12 years old.

Murphy Homes Operations Manager Jenny McGuire says that the Angel Tree program involves the community in sharing for those that are less fortunate in our area. All of the angels on the tree are from Madison County who might otherwise not get anything for Christmas.

McGuire says that adopting an angel is easy, and that families or groups that are interested in adopting an angel can do so one of two ways: they can either come into the Murphy Homes headquarters and hand-pick an angel ornament straight from the tree or they can go online and sign-up for an angel.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Salvation Army Angel Tree program, here’s how it works (it’s very easy!)

Select an angel.

Either visit Murphy Homes in-person to select an angel from the Christmas tree or go online and sign up for an angel via their SignUp Genius option. Both options will list a child’s name and age.

Receive your list.

Once you select an angel, you’ll receive a list of wants, needs, and sizes for the child. If you signed up online, this list will be emailed to you.

Shop!

The next step is all about the shopping! Shoppers are encouraged to snag as many of the items on the list as they are able (approximately $100 worth of gifts is suggested). McGuire says that the lists are much more broad this year to allow for an easier shopping experience. The majority of needs include clothing items, but shoppers can expect a few “wants” as well. For example, the “wants” for our angels include a pair of headphone, unicorn-related items, a nail kit, and Barbies. Very easy to shop for but also so personal to these sweet 12 year old girls and their interests.

Drop off unwrapped items.

Once you’ve purchased the items, it’s time for drop-off! Items should be left completely unwrapped and delivered in a labeled trash bag by 10 a.m. on December 10th.

Murphy Homes is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The angel tree is located right inside the front doors, and someone will be there to warmly greet you and help get you set up with your angel(s).

If you’d like to select your angel online, simply click here and sign up. (We signed up for two, so I can tell you from experience that it’s very easy.) Once you sign up, you’ll receive an email within 24 hours with your angel’s list of wants, needs, and sizes.

When asked what Murphy Homes’s motivation is to host a large Angel Tree each year, McGuire shared that “it warms our hearts to know that we did something good for the community at the end of each year.”

This is actually just one of many charities and non-profits that Murphy Homes annually supports. McGuire says Murphy Homes selects a new organization once a month to support in various ways. The Angel Tree program is the only one that is consistent each year at the same time of year though.

“What started as something small with just 25 angels has now grown to a goal of almost 100, and we look forward to seeing them all adopted.”