For those not familiar with PALS, this is the organization where Ashton spent her time mentoring and tutoring women who have been left behind. The reason the Angel Trees are so important is that these women tend to drop out of their education programs during the Holiday season and hide in the shadows because they can’t care for their children’s needs. A simple gift, donated unwrapped so the mom can wrap it and give it to her child, will keep them in their educational program. A small gesture from someone who isn’t struggling can represent the tipping point for whether these women will succeed or withdraw.
2016 Angel Tree
The Ashton Hope Keegan foundation is so thankful for all who contributed to the three Angel Trees in 2016! When we started, we had the names of all of the kids on the tree, with the goal of ensuring each of them got a gift.
Orange Theory hosted two of the trees, and Krimson Kafe hosted the third. By the end of the first day, we got a call saying all of the names are taken, and people are asking for more! We added all of the names again – and they were again all taken. In the end, the community donated more than 70 gifts, plus some cash donations, in just over one week!
Due to the generosity of the Athens/Oconee communities, each child on this year’s Angel Tree list will get two gifts instead of one!
Thank you, Orange Theory, for hosting the Angel Trees!
