Angel Tree gifts?

[mrssmith06]

Do you sponsor a needy child at Christmas?
What do you typically spend on them?
Do you try to get everything plus some on their list or just a couple of things?

 

[angierae]

Our office participates in "Operation Good Cheer", which is a charity in Michigan that provides gifts to kids in foster care. They have parties at their agency where they are given the (wrapped) gifts and then they take them home and open them with their foster families on Christmas.

I spend around $150 per child. Some years I "adopt" two kids some years it's only one.

 

[sissy_ib]

Do you sponsor a needy child at Christmas?
What do you typically spend on them?
Do you try to get everything plus some on their list or just a couple of things?

I did through the Salvation Army this year. I am actually dropping it off today.
I set a budget of $100 each and came very close to that. I chose one child and one senior citizen.

The child's needs were clothes so I bought three shirts, two pair of jeans, leggings, shoes and a pack of socks. Her wants were art supplies and music toys. I couldn't find anything I considered appropriate as far as music toys but I got two nice Crayola sets and some extra paper and markers.

For the senior citizen her needs were a comforter and a toaster oven. I got both on what I think were good specials black Friday weekend. I also got her slippers, two sweaters and I think one other thing.

I chose those because I knew I could get a lot for my money with what they asked for. My FIL was going to pick a name from the tree at Walmart but the kids were all asking for things like iPhones. So I guess it depends on what they are asking for if I would get it all or not.

 

[mrssmith06]

I was curious as to whether I was spending about the "average" or if it was too much or too little. I usually stay right around $100. I tend to pick the younger aged kids just because it's easier to stay on my budget with that age. The older kids always have expensive electronics on their lists! I always hope there is someone that can give them those nicer things but I just can't.

 

[Jedana]

We've done so in the past, but not the last few years. Things have been very tight, so we haven't been able to.

I've always bought as much as I could, on the budget I had available. If I had some money left over, they got a few extra things.

We still donate to Toys for Tots, though. And we do the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes through our scout pack.

 

[BeachLove]

Yes, every year. I tend to stick to $25-100 per wishlist. Usually I'll pick up to 3 kids and up to 2 seniors. It depends on the lists and my budget for that year. Now, I do not pick the kids asking for Ipads, Game systems with games or Iphones. I know its a "wish list" but I'm not spending $500 on something. Especially if that requires a monthly plan. I'll pick the kids that want a barbie and coats, blankets, bed sheets, clothing, toy trucks, etc. I get the things on the list and sometimes an extra thing. Like if they only list clothing, I'll get toys and crafts in addition to it.

 

[okeydokey]

Our church does this and they instruct us to choose one outfit and one other toy or thing. There are usually multiple kids in each family on the tree and they want to keep it even withing the family so they do offer the maximum guidelines. We usually get two children to buy for.

They started being more careful about the wish lists after looking back over the years and seeing the same families on the tree a few years in a row with a new bike listed for every kid in the family. That's when they realized that some families were selling the bikes every year and asking for new ones the next.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I donate to Toys for Tots because my 16yoDD works with them each year with Senior Beta, they use teens to help sort the toys because they're more aware of what is age and gender appropriate than some of the older gentlemen that usually work with them. My budget varies each year, I try to spend between $5-$8 per toy so I can get more while still getting good toys. I start watching for sales/clearance during the summer. I loved it when Walmart would mark down basketballs, footballs and soccer balls for $5 on black Friday, but they didn't do it this year.

I generally try to get toys that don't take batteries too, in case the families can't afford them, but that's getting more difficult. This year I focused on "girl" toys like dolls, pink Legos, etc.

 

[DianeV]

We did the Salvation Army Angel Tree this year and they made it clear in their info to not spend more than $30...

 

[4GoofyCrew]

We do Toys for Tots because both of our employers sponsors that.

We usually take the kids to the store and let them each pick out something that THEY would want, but that they want to give to another child. We guide the budget but nothing is set in stone. I would say they usually spend about $20-25 each. It is a good lesson for them to learn about giving because here they get to pick out any (well, within reason) toy but then they don't get to keep it. LOVE doing it and so do they!

 

[sissy_ib]

We did the Salvation Army Angel Tree this year and they made it clear in their info to not spend more than $30...

No such guidance was given to me. You pick pick the name off the tree and they take down your info, that was it.

 

[wiigirl]

We did the Salvation Army Angel Tree this year and they made it clear in their info to not spend more than $30...

Same here...they suggested we buy several $30 gifts rather than a single $100 gift.

 

[Fire14]

where are you guys finding the senior angels? Everytime I've looked it has just been 17 and under. I usually did an outfit and a toy when I did angel tree.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

No such guidance was given to me. You pick pick the name off the tree and they take down your info, that was it.

I have done the angel tree for years and have never been given a spending limit. We usually average around 70.00 we do one child around my children's age so that they can help pick out the gifts.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[sissy_ib]

where are you guys finding the senior angels? Everytime I've looked it has just been 17 and under. I usually did an outfit and a toy when I did angel tree.

The Salvation Army Tree at my mall had them. Only a few, more kids than seniors.

 

[DawnM]

Our Angel Tree also specified $30. Each sheet has a suggestions list. They no longer allow kids to write what they want. I can fully understand. When you get a paper that requests a Wii and another that request that says they want a Monopoly game.....well, it causes problems.

However, what did surprise me is that the gifts for 13-15 year old boys just said, "$30 Walmart Gift Card." That was it. No other suggestions.

Dawn

 

[richmond282]

We are sponsoring a child through my DD's school. I love that we can fulfill hte wishes of someone right there in our neighborhood (or close by). We were told to use the list:
Something they want,
Something they need,
Something to wear,
Something to read.

I chose an 8 year old girl who requested Monster High. I spent around $100 and got:
want- 2 monster high dolls (I know zero about Monster high so hopefully they are good ones)
Need- socks, panties, thick jacket, gloves
wear- jeans, l/s t-shirt, sweater, leggings (2 outfits)
read- 4 Boxcar children books and a Beverly Cleary book

Thanks to Kohl's incredible sales this year, I was able to get all of the clothes for around $60!!!

 

[jessica52877]

I've turned into one of those that will buy the Wii or DS or the more expensive item on the list. Not many are going to and I would prefer to skip gifts for DH and I and give them to a child who will not get something otherwise. I only hope that it really goes to the right child that really would not get one otherwise and that the parents do not sell it. Our church has an angel tree with needs and wants on the cards. Every year there tons and tons of cards left over with kids asking for the bigger items. We also do the same for seniors, a boy and girl and then a senior male and female.

 

[sandynd]

We are very tight this year, and I wasn't going to do an angel, but my daughter has no idea about our financial situation and has loved doing this every year, so she brought a baby card home from the tree in her school. I did not have any money to give her, but we looked at her Christmas budget she's been saving up from her allowance, and we decided if she did homemade presents for Grandma and Grandpa, she could dedicate that money to the angel baby. She got him a sleeper, an outfit and socks for $20! Not a bad little haul, she learned about making a budget flexible, and she was able to continue in a tradition we've done every year that we otherwise couldn't have done.

 

[theworldneedscolor]

Every year my grandma picks out three kids, and then my cousin, sister and I go with her and we pick out gifts for it. We get lunch after, and make a day of it! I love this tradition