Salvation Army unwraps joy distributing thousands of Angel Tree gifts to families in need

The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division — which includes the nonprofit’s corps on Kaua‘i — fulfilled holiday wishes for thousands of keiki and kūpuna throughout Hawai‘i and Guam this month, unwrapping and sharing joy as part of its Angel Tree program.

Numerous distribution days were filled with bustling volunteers, joyful smiles and Christmas gifts being passed out to families and individuals in need who registered in October for the Angel Tree program.

Collectively, with the support of generous partners and gift donations from community members, a total of 16,435 youth and seniors were served divisionwide, meeting a still growing need — all Salvation Army corps locations report an increased demand in 2025, most notably for kūpuna.

Angel Trees bearing wish tags appeared at all Walmart stores and Central Pacific Bank locations throughout Hawai‘i this holiday season, along with other partner locations that amplified the program’s reach.

UPS was a critical logistics partner on Oʻahu, with managers donating their time and trucks to pick up thousands of donated gifts at all Central Pacific Bank locations, Aloha Pacific Federal Credit Unions and other key locations.

Angel Tree gift distributions were conducted from Dec. 10-20.

Highlights from Kauaʻi included:

• Hanapēpē Corps served 373 keiki and kūpuna through Angel Tree, noting an increased demand of more than 77% this year compared with 2024, causing a shortfall in gifts to fill the need. Community partners Captain Andy’s and Sheraton Kauaʻi Resort supported awareness throughout this year’s Angel Tree campaign and helped pass out gifts at the distribution event.
• Līhuʻe Corps distributed gifts to more than 1,000 youth and seniors, with support from Kauaʻi County Mayor Derek Kawakami, local businesses and families — including one single mom, with many children of her own, who wrapped gift baskets, one after the other, to help the effort. Her late son’s legacy inspires her spirit of service.
• The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program on Kaua‘i also partners with The Salvation Army to provide gifts for families through the Angel Tree program.

Each wish granted from a tag on an Angel Tree provided Christmas cheer to individuals and families facing increasing financial hardships — every gift serving as a meaningful message of care and dignity.

The Angel Tree program is wrapped up for 2025; however, the need for support continues beyond the holidays.

Ringing in holiday hope is The Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign’s specialty, but the nonprofit’s most significant fundraiser also supports critical community services throughout the year.

Red Kettles could be found — and especially heard — at local storefronts through Christmas Eve. Virtual Red Kettles continue to accept donations until Dec. 31; you can even create an online Red Kettle campaign of your own or donate to another.

Every dollar put into a kettle stays in the community where it is donated, making a meaningful local impact in the face of increasing shortages and difficulties for families and individuals to find food and housing, limited resources for at-risk youth and kūpuna as well as families struggling with addiction and financial hardships.

Donations to Virtual Red Kettles will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000 per kettle, through the end of the year because of a matching gift from The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division.

Visit The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division website to create your own Virtual Red Kettle or donate to one in your community.