WCHS Annual Angel Tree Gives Back
December 6, 2023
Winnebago, NE – With your help, WCHS was able to bring 300 holiday dreams to reality this year with our Annual Angel Tree. This heartwarming event aims to foster the true spirit of giving by bringing joy and warmth to families in our community.
For those unfamiliar with an Angel Tree Toy Drive: An Angel Tree helps communities, like Winnebago, connect to ensure that there are gifts under every family’s tree this Christmas. Individuals with the capacity to give can select a tag or tags off the tree with each child's age and gender whom they can shop for. They will return the unwrapped gift and tag to WCHS who will wrap and help connect to families in Winnebago’s Child and Family Services, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Juvenile Services, and foster care programs.
The Winnebago Angel Tree, which started long before WCHS took it over, every year continues to provide opportunities for generosity in Winnebago. When asked to reflect on what makes this Angel Tree initiative so worthwhile, WCHS Chief Financial Officer, Beth Wewel explained, “The amazing generosity and giving spirit is alive in Winnebago, and we continue to receive incredible assistance from not only WCHS but several other local organizations. It is humbling to see the impact that such a simple concept can make on the families in our community.”
The Angel Tree serves children 19 and under, and around 300 gifts are given yearly – meaning approximately 5,700 gifts have been provided in the past 19 years. From warm winter clothes and books to toys and essential supplies, each gift is checked in with great care and consideration by WCHS Dental Clinic employees to ensure no family is missed.
WCHS continues to show its caring heart and commitment to the Winnebago Community by prioritizing, organizing, and facilitating the Angel Tree each year. Chief Public Health Officer Mona Zuffante adds, “In this special time of year, we are reminded how important it is to show empathy and give back. Together at WCHS, we are honored to have the chance to give the children in our patient community, not only physical gifts but the greater gifts of joy and magic this Christmas season.”