There's nothing quite like the joy on a child's face when they open a Christmas gift chosen just for them. It's the kind of joy that lingers long after the wrapping paper is gone—the joy of being remembered, seen and loved.

For more than 40 years, The Salvation Army's Angel Tree program has made that moment possible for children across the country. It has grown into a movement that now brings Christmas joy to more than a million children each year.

The idea was simple: invite the community to adopt a child by name, shop for their Christmas wishes, and then return those gifts so they could be placed into the hands of families who might otherwise go without. Behind that simple plan are countless stories of connection and hope—families who breathe a sigh of relief, children who go back to school with new clothes, volunteers who find purpose in serving.

Today, you'll hear from people whose lives have been touched by these gifts. Captain Yohani Ortiz shares her own story of receiving gifts as a child and how it shaped her life. And then, you'll hear from Marlene Klotz-Collins, who helped launch the Christmas Angel program in Phoenix and has volunteered faithfully for four decades.

Because at Christmastime, joy shows up in many faces—and often, it starts with a simple paper angel.

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