A community of angels


From left: Shelby Smith, Paige Riley, Karen Brantingham, Karla Smith and Katelyn Brantingham picked up gift-wrapped presents from the businesses where Angel Trees had offered “ornaments” bearing children’s Christmas wishes. Residents and customers took the ornaments, bought the requested gifts, wrapped them and returned them to the businesses to be picked up by Wednesday’s volunteers, who delivered them to the Family Services building.

Paige Riley was buried under gifts being transported from the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department to the Family Services building, where the gifts would be picked up later by parents. Family Services wasn’t officially involved in the program, but it offered a space where the gifts could be distributed.

With money from the Ozark County Sheriff’s Community Fund, sheriff’s department volunteers Rachel Phelan, Gavin Phelan and Sheila Dilts shopped for the gifts on the 14 angel ornaments that hadn’t been claimed so that all children who shared wish lists got presents. From left: sheriff’s office administrative assistant Curtis Ledbetter, Chief Deputy Winston Collins, Sheriff Darrin Reed and jailer Jeff Lane get ready to load the gifts into vehicles. The sheriff expressed thanks to the “generous folks in Ozark County” who contribute to the community fund.

On Dec. 19, volunteers gathered up the dozens of gifts provided by more than 150 “angels” who fulfilled Angel Tree wishes to give Ozark County kids a merry Christmas this year. Karla Smith, one of the organizers, expressed thanks to all the anonymous residents who bought gifts for Ozark County’s kids.

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423