The Salvation Army Christmas Toy Assistance Program

Giving Everyone Hope for a Merry Christmas

Every year, The Salvation Army of Greenville provides Christmas toys to children in need through the Angel Tree program. Children (ages 0-12) who are registered for the Angel Tree program will have their specific Christmas wishes listed on Angel Tree tags, which are "adopted" and fulfilled by community members and organizations.

To ensure the safety of both the applicants and Salvation Army staff, all Angel Tree applications (for Greenville County residents) will be completed virtually this year. All applicants must complete an initial eligibility assessment for Angel Tree. Once the assessment is submitted virtually, Salvation Army staff will review and consider the application for approval. If the application is approved, Salvation Army staff will send the applicant an email with more instructions for completing the second half of the online application.

The Salvation Army closed applications for Christmas Assistance on October 16, 2020. Phase 1 of Angel Tree Applications (applications submitted between 9/14/2020-9/27/2020) have been evaluated. Phase 2 of Angel Tree applications (applications submitted between 9/28/2020 and 10/16/2020) will be evaluated for approval starting on October 15. If you applied during Phase 2, please check your inbox for further instructions! If you have any questions or issues with the application process, please email us here.

To apply for the initial eligibility assessment, please have the following items/documents available:

An email address
Government-issued picture ID for the parent/guardian of the household
Birth certificates or custody papers for all children 12 years or younger
Proof of address and residency in Greenville County (current lease or utility bill is preferred)

Applications are open virtually for Greenville County residents only. Our Pickens County Service Center and Oconee County Service Center will release more information about their upcoming applications soon. Please keep an eye on their Facebook pages here for Pickens and here for Oconee for more updates. Update (9/22): the Pickens County Service Center will be accepting Angel Tree applications during the week of October 12-16, 2020. More information about Pickens County registration can be found here.

Due to the volume of requests for assistance, we will be limiting the number of children we can accept for Angel Tree in 2020. Although we are limiting the number of children served, we will do our best to serve as many families applying for first-time Christmas assistance as possible. We will post updates regarding registration here and across our social media in order to give families ample time and information to prepare for registration. Because registration will be entirely digital this year, all families must secure a way to use internet to apply.

All children must be 12 years of age or under to be eligible. Children who will turn 13 after their acceptance into the Angel Tree program but before November 1, 2020, will still be eligible for Christmas assistance. If there are any issues with this in your application, please email us here.

Every year, The Salvation Army of Greenville, Pickens and Oconee Counties provides Christmas assistance to more than 2,500 children through the Angel Tree program. Children (ages 0-12) who are registered for the Angel Tree program will have their specific Christmas wishes listed on Angel Tree tags, which are "adopted" and fulfilled by community members and organizations. Eligibility for Angel Tree is determined by The Salvation Army's Giving Hope program. Families applying for Angel Tree must follow one of three eligibility tracks AND must prove financial eligibility by one of two methods.

Giving Hope Eligibility Tracks

The Salvation Army of Greenville County’s Christmas Assistance program, Giving Hope, has three tracks to be eligible, these are outlined below:

Track One: You are employed 30+ hours per week and are able to provide pay stubs for 30+ days showing hours worked.
Track Two: You are enrolled in school in full-time status and can provide verification of enrollment.
Track Three: You complete three activities with the Greenville County Library System. You’ll receive a stamp for each activity. Choose from these activities:
- Get a library card for yourself or your child.
- Walk the Born Learning Trail at the Augusta Road Library. Call 864-277-0161 for more info.
- Complete a scavenger hunt at any Greenville County Library location.
- Attend a special Giving Hope event at a library location during August-October. These events will be listed here in July 2020. (Note: No childcare will be provided at these library events.)

Giving Hope Financial Eligibility

Regardless of the track you take for Giving Hope, all participants must be financially eligible. Financial eligibility will be determined in one of two ways:

Government Financial Assistance: You must provide a DSS Household Summary (nothing else will be accepted) and the photo ID of head of household applying.
Income Eligibility: You must provide verification of your income and expenses from the most recent month available (your eligibility will be calculated based on the statements you provide) and the photo ID of head of household applying.

Questions? Call The Salvation Army at 864-235-4803 and ask to speak to someone about Giving Hope 2020.

Greenville County Library System Branches and Contact Numbers:

The Salvation Army Christmas Toy Assistance Program

Giving Everyone Hope for a Merry Christmas

Due to the current COVID-19 health crisis, we have suspended our previously-published plan to continue the Giving Hope Program, in partnership with the Greenville County Library System.
However, The Salvation Army is committed to assisting families in need this holiday season. Due to the continued health concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be offering Angel Tree registration virtually. Online registration is scheduled to open on Monday, September 14, at 10 AM so please keep an eye on this page for more information.
Due to the volume of requests for assistance, we will be limiting the number of children we can accept for Angel Tree in 2020. Although we are limiting the number of children served, we will do our best to serve as many families applying for first-time Christmas assistance as possible. We will post information regarding registration and eligibility here and across our social media in order to give families ample time to prepare for registration. Registration will be entirely digital this year, so please begin securing a way to use internet for registration. All applications, processes and instructions will be available in both English and Spanish.
We continue to pray for this community and all those who have been affected by COVID-19. Please stay connected to us here and on our other online platforms for more information.
Blessings,
The Salvation Army of Greenville Social Ministries Team