Paper angels denoting an underprivileged child’s Christmas wish are hanging on Angel Trees at Weber State University campuses.

Each angel on the Angel Trees represents a child in need of a sponsor for Christmas. All of the youths are local, residing in Ogden or the Weber County area.

The Angel Trees are located in the Shepherd Union Building atrium and the Davis Campus D3 lobby.

“By picking a tag, you are helping to give a child a Christmas that they wouldn’t otherwise have,” said Erika McDonald, the WSUSA special service events chair. “So it’s a really easy opportunity to make a pretty big impact in someone’s life.”

The Angel Tree is sponsored in part by the Center for Community Engaged Learning and the Salvation Army.

According to Mike Moon, the assistant director of the CCEL, there are a total of 200 angels on the trees.

Each angel tag includes some information about the child, including their gender, age, clothing size, favorite color or interests and items on their wish list.

“The Angel Tree is nice on a campus because it’s not a steep financial contribution,” Moon said. “So on a college campus where students may already be struggling financially, it’s a way that they can get involved in their community and give back without requiring a lot of time or money.”

Everyone is invited to participate in the Angel Tree, including students, faculty, staff and community members.

“It’s a great way to give back to our community,” Moon said.  “We’ve got people with needs right here in Ogden and this is a great way for students to give back.”

Participants can bring their unwrapped gift to the CCEL office located in Room 327 in the Shepherd Union Building by Dec. 10 or the Student Involvement and Leadership Office located in D3’s Suite 221 on the Davis campus.

“It is a fun way to give back,” said Shelby Batchelor, the volunteer coordinator for the Salvation Army. “You get to go shopping and you get to help make a little kid have a Christmas morning.”

Batchelor personally meets with the families signing up for assistance from the Angel Tree. She has also had the chance to see the families when they receive their gifts.

“It makes a huge impact on the children,” Batchelor said. “It’s a very positive feeling to give back to our community when we have the ability.”

The requested items on the Angel Tree tags range from princess dolls and race car toys, to basic clothing items like shirts or socks.

“When I was going through these tags, tying the ribbons and putting labels on them, I got emotional about it,” McDonald said. “These are kid’s lives, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

McDonald said she wants people to know that they are easily able to make a difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate.

“There are people out there with much less,” McDonald said. “The Angel Tree is a really simple way to become a positive influence in the community.”