Charlotte, NC—Integrated Design-Build firm A M King helped the Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte and the Salvation Army in Greenville, SC provide gifts for nearly 10,000 children who may not otherwise receive anything for Christmas. Each year for the past seven years A M King has adopted children registered with the Angel Tree program, assisting with the collective effort to help those families who have the most need in our community.
A M King has been a longtime supporter of the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, and now provides each employee with $150 each year to spend on his or her own Angel. A M King then adopts an additional 100 Angels. This year the firm ensured that nearly 150 children will receive Christmas toys and winter clothing.
A M King employees at both the company’s Charlotte headquarters and Greenville, SC office began shopping for their Angels shortly after Thanksgiving, coordinated gift package assembly for each individual Angel and loaded clothes, toys and bikes onto the Salvation Army truck for delivery. The effort took a little muscle and a lot of heart and gave our employees something wonderful in return.
“My favorite thing about the Angel Tree Program is feeling like I might be helping to keep the magic alive for the kids,” says Meagan Rubick, A M King Project Administrator.” My parents let my sister and me believe in Santa as long as we wanted and in fact, we still receive “Santa gifts” every year on Christmas morning. For my family it makes our holiday that much more enjoyable. I hope the kids get to experience the same.”
Megan really stepped up her efforts with the Angel Tree program this year with Director of Corporate Administration Donna Morris on extended medical leave. Prior to her surgery in early December, Donna met with Major Todd Hawks at the Salvation Army’s new Christmas Center to talk about the Angel Tree program. Check out the blog with their conversation here. Since then, every single A M King employee participated in this effort on some level, practiced teamwork outside of the office and generally received Christmas giving feel-good in spades.
“It’s really cool to bring Christmas to those who need it most,” say Assistant Project Manager Joe Day. “In addition, because I’m not from Charlotte, A M King’s Angel Tree program provides an opportunity to get involved in the local community.”
“In the season of giving, we are blessed to have the opportunity at A M King to extend the joy beyond our immediate families into our local community,” says Chase Roten, Project Engineer. “It’s rewarding to have a smile on the face and toys in the hands of children who may not receive either without a helping hand.”
Hundreds of volunteers are giving their time and resources generously this holiday season, including thousands of people who adopted Angels, purchased gifts, donated toys and are still ringing the bell at the iconic Red Kettle. A M King is proud to be a part of the effort that nets so much for many people during the holidays and makes their lives just a little bit easier.
“Each year, we are amazed at the amount of support we get for our Christmas assistance programs in Charlotte,” said Major Larry Broome, area commander for The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte. “We realize it’s impossible to meet the challenges our community faces on our own; we can only help all those who need us during this time if we band together. This year has been another incredible example of that. Thousands of kids in our area will experience the joy of Christmas because of the effort.”
Last year, an estimated 100,000 children in North and South Carolina experienced joy on Christmas morning through The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program.
