The Salvation Army wants to make sure all children in need get the Christmas they deserve.

“Every child deserves to have some gift at Christmas,” Corps Officer Capt. Srikant Bhatnagar said.

Wednesday will be the Angel Tree Make-Up Day. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Salvation Army, 530 Mission 66, will again be accepting the sign up for applications for children who need assistance from the Angel Tree Program, where families and organizations sponsor children in need by buying them Christmas presents.

Between 300 and 400 children signed up on the initial application day.

There is no limit to the number of children the organization will accept. Kamace Priest, president of The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary and the Angel Tree coordinator said they usually have around 600 children on the list, and Bhatnagar added they also put senior citizens on the tree upping the total to between 800 and 900.

To register a child for the program, parents or guardians have to bring photo identification, Department of Human Services paperwork and the children’s birth certificates with them to The Salvation Army. Once the paperwork is in order, they fill out an application.

“We have them fill out an application for Angel Tree with their children’s wants and needs for toys, clothes, school uniforms and bedding,” Priest said.

She said many of the children would go without presents at all if it weren’t for the program. The impact of the program is evident in the children’s lives and throughout the community.

“It’s a making a difference in children’s lives, especially for parents who can not afford to buy the gifts,” Bhatnagar said.

The Angel Tree program has touched many people in different ways. Bhatnagar said there is a retired general in Vicksburg whose first bike came from the Angel Tree program, and he is now working to give back to the same organization that helped him.

“Now they reach the other side, they like to give back to the community, and it’s a very important, great program to make a difference in the children and community life,” Bhatnagar said.

Angels will first be available for adoption at the Soup and Sandwich Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Crawford Street United Methodist Church, 900 Crawford St. From then on, Angel Trees will become available throughout town at different locations like the Outlets at Vicksburg on Saturday, Nov. 14, and the Vicksburg Mall.

Toys have to be turned in by Saturday, Dec. 5, and the presents will be given out to the children on Thursday, Dec. 10.

“We have a wonderful community and group that supports us. We do bikes and we do the bags, we have some great supporters,” Corps Officer Indrani Bhatnagar said.

She said getting the children adopted is a large goal. Last year, 70 children went un-adopted, and The Salvation Army took it upon themselves to make sure the angels received gifts. She hopes all of the children are adopted this year, and she wants the public to know just donating gifts is a big help.

The public can get involved in multiple ways like by adopting an angel, by setting up an Angel Tree in their business or by volunteering. The Salvation Army needs volunteers to watch the trees in locations around town and also to be bell ringers during the holidays. For more information, call The Salvation Army at 601-636-2706.