I would like to express my sincere thanks to the members of our community for the wonderful way in which they supported The Salvation Army of Port Arthur during the year of 2007, but especially during this Christmas season.

The list of people of Southeast Texas who assisted The Salvation Army this Christmas is almost endless. There are too many people to name individually, but the ways in which they helped is an amazing list.

These are some of the many ways in which we were served: volunteer bell-ringers who helped rain or shine or heat or cold; volunteer money-counters and those who allowed us to use their machines to count our change; bringers of Angel Tree gifts; Angel Tree sitters who sat faithfully at the mall, day in and day out; businesses who allowed us to have our Angel Trees in their lobbies; people who gave coats and blankets and the places of business who allowed themselves to be a collection location; volunteers who helped organize the toys and clothing so that each child received “their Angel gift” which was chosen “just for them”; the places of business that allowed us to “ring bells” in front of their stores; the people of our community who made monetary donations to our “red kettles” and our mail appeal; companies and individuals who adopted families for the Angel Tree program, just to name a few.

I am also thankful to God for the out-pouring of support, both financial and moral support, due to our recent robbery. The folks who live in Southeast Texas really “stepped up” as a result of this unfortunate incident. I am also grateful for the prayers that have been offered up, as well as the other support.

Again, I say thank-you to the countless number of individuals who continue to support The Salvation Army of Port Arthur.

Blessings,

Captain Leonel Ortiz

Corps Officer of The Salvation Army of Port Arthur