SAN ANTONIO — A problem with its warehouse this year has The Salvation Army looking for their own Christmas miracle, and hoping the San Antonio community answers their prayers.
A growing pile of toys sits in a spare room at the Salvation Army’s Hope Center at 521 West Elmira St.
"This pile is going to grow exponentially over the coming days and in the next couple of weeks," said Brad Mayhar, public relations manager for the Salvation Army.
Mayhar said he’s used to asking for the community's help for their annual Angel Tree program, but not for the kind of help they need in 2023.
“We're very active during the Christmas season,” Mayhar told KENS 5's Maggie Laughlin on Friday morning. “And for the Angel Trees program here, we need the community’s help to help make Christmas possible for about 6,000 local kids in need."
Since 1979, the Salvation Army has been partnering with malls and other businesses in the San Antonio area to provide clothing and toys for children, seniors and families. They expect to help more than 6,000 local children have a brighter Christmas in 2023.
But this year, they need more than volunteers to buy the gifts listed on their paper angel ornaments.
After his appearance on the KENS 5 morning show, Mayhar discovered the warehouse they had lined up for the toys did not meet their standards.
"I got a phone call shortly after getting back to the office,” he said. “(They said), ‘Hey, we're having to back out of this warehouse that we're scheduled to move into today and we're back to the drawing board looking for another place.'"
Mayhar said that even though they discovered the problem before Thanksgiving, it's left them scrambling to find a replacement.
"In our world, we have to quietly start planning for Christmas months ahead of time," Mayhar said.
The Salvation Army is now asking that anyone with recommendations for their new “toy shop” call (210) 352-2000.
"We need a place that has a minimum of 20,000 square feet. Has air conditioning, heating, running water, plumbing, preferably a loading dock."
Anyone interested in taking part in the Angel tree program by adopting a needy Child, Senior or Family can learn more here.
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