Angel Tree Campaign supports children at Christmas

By Lethbridge Herald on January 6, 2026.

BY Alejandra  Pulido- Guzman

Lethbridge Herald

Thousands of children were able to receive presents during the Christmas holidays thanks to the Lethbridge Family Services Angel Tree campaign. 

Lindsay Prete, Angel Tree Coordinator said the campaign ran smoothly with no major hiccups thanks to the many hands involved in the process. 

“I did get a little nervous at the beginning because donations were coming in a little bit slower, but then they started coming and our numbers were down as this year we asked for proof of financials,” said Prete. 

She said by asking for financial information, they were able to help families who were in dire need of a helping hand, as their threshold was a total household income of $75,000. 

“We ended up with 3,335 children, which so happens to be the 33rd year of Angel Tree so I think it was fitting,” said Prete. 

She said that in addition to proof of financial need, they reduced their coverage area by limiting it to 30 kilometres outside of the city. 

“That took out roughly 400 children, but they were able to get served by the other organizations. In 2024 we were way over capacity at 4,300 children, so this year we went in with expectations of it being higher and were surprisingly excited with the smaller number,” said Prete. 

She said the campaign had major sponsors like Avonlea Homes who donated $40,000 and College Ford which donated $20,000, along with multiple donors that added up to a significant amount collected. 

“We collected $190,000 this year and we had 147 drop-off locations throughout the city, with a few in Taber and Coaldale, which also helped us reach our goal,” said Prete. 

In terms of volunteers, Prete said they had 392 volunteers who put in just over 4,900 hours to help the Angel Tree campaign run smoothly. 

“That includes volunteering from our bundlers, our drivers, the people coming in with all their knitted items, and even our committee who spent seven hours per day here,” said Prete. 

And even though the 2025 campaign is over, Prete said they will begin collecting donations right away to begin getting ready to bundle in October. 

“We have our debrief meeting in February and here we go again. We start immediately. Emails will start going out in April to all of our drop off locations,” said Prete. 

They will be accepting donations throughout the year, especially for teenagers and new hygiene products including shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and body wash.

“We accept donations all year long, monetary and otherwise, as we start bundling in October and we need to be ready for that before the drop-off locations begin accepting donations after Remembrance Day,” said Prete.