Kingwood State Police accepting gifts for 'West Virginia Needy,' Annual program to benefit local children, families

“We will deliver the donated food and toys to the Salvation Army in Kingwood during and at the end of the campaign,” State Police Sargent Craig DeBerry said. “The donated items will be used to help needy families in Preston County.”

“The canned goods will be used to help the Food for Preston program,” DeBerry said.

The Food for Preston program helps support food pantries in the county.

“As a part of the donation drive we will be involved with an event at Preston High.” DeBerry, a 21-year veteran of the State Police, said. “We’ll pick up the donations they acquire in a ceremony on the fifteenth and present those items to the Salvation Army with items we collect at the detachment.”

“The Salvation Army uses the donated toys as a part of their Angel Tree Program,” DeBerry said. “The items are disbursed by the Salvation Army at the Eagles Club over in Kingwood.”

The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program is designed to assist needy families with young children during the Christmas Holiday, according to Trish Adkins, to a Salvation Army Lieutenant in Monongalia County.

“We set up locations around the area,” Adkins said. “People can acquire paper angels to support a needy child or children in the area.”

According to Adkins, needy families can sign up prior to the holiday season and, if they fall within the prescribed criteria, they will be provided with gifts via the donation program.

“The program referrals for Preston County come from the Salvation Army office in Kingwood earlier in the fall. We’re so blessed,” Adkins added. “All of the paper angels were accounted for in Preston County this year.”

Adkins said the local Salvation Army office arranges for local businesses to set up a paper angel tree. The trees have paper angel tags that represent a needy child, and those wishing to donate make a commitment to provide gifts for the child represented by the paper angel ornament.

“The Paper Angel program has been around for over 30 years,” Adkins said. “It’s become a tradition in Preston and surrounding counties.”

DeBerry said the donation drive is a team project at the State Police detachment and said everyone assigned to the detachment is involved.

“We appreciate all the people who participate in the program,” said DeBerry. “We really enjoy being able to help put a smile on a child’s face during the holiday season.”