Thursday, October 1, 2026
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79 ° Clear
The holiday season shines a little brighter each year thanks to the Newtown Rotary Club’s long-running Angel Tree Holiday Program, which helps ensure that children and families in the Council Rock School District and surrounding areas experience the joy of Christmas.
Each November, the familiar sight of the Angel Trees, one at the Newtown Post Office and another at the Free Library of Northampton Township, marks the beginning of a favorite annual community tradition. Each “angel” hanging from the trees represents a local child or family in need. Community members are invited to take a tag, fulfill the wish(es) written on it, and return the unwrapped gifts by the designated deadline.
“It’s been more than 30 years since I got involved in this Angel Tree program,” said Paul Salvatore, longtime Newtown Rotarian and coordinator of the project. “The program was started by the Council Rock School District’s school nurses with the Women’s Group of Northampton. We came onboard when the Women’s Group reached out to the Newtown Rotary Club because they had too many children to buy for. They asked if the Rotary could take over the Newtown, Wrightstown, and Upper Makefield areas. Eventually, when the Women’s Group folded, we took over everything.”
This program has grown into a major community effort that will help approximately 90 families this year in the Council Rock School District. In recent years, the Rotary has expanded its reach, now providing any extra donated gifts to Family Service of Bucks County to distribute to its local clients.
The angel trees are currently on display at the Newtown Post Office and the Free Library of Northampton Township, and there’s still time to pick an angel tag and purchase the requested items. Donors must return the unwrapped gift, tag attached, by Friday, December 12, to ensure it can be sorted and delivered in time for the holidays.
“The angels are made from old Christmas cards that we punch into the shape of an angel,” explained Salvatore. “Each angel has a family code, like CR1 for the first Council Rock family, and it lists the gifts that a child or family member requested. Everything is completely anonymous.”
Each child in the program is allowed to make four wishes, which might include clothing, toys, art supplies, or gift cards. While the program aims to fulfill every specific request, Salvatore said there are always a few needs that go beyond toys and games.
“People don’t realize that many families in the Council Rock District are struggling,” he said. “To qualify for this holiday program, most of these kids must be enrolled in the school’s free lunch program. Sometimes the requests we get aren’t for toys; they’re for personal hygiene items, cleaning supplies, or household necessities. Those are things you can’t buy with a food assistance card, so we make sure to fill in those gaps.”
“On December 13, about eight or nine of us Rotarians will go out with a box truck and collect the gifts from the post office and library,” he said. “We will bring everything back to the Newtown Presbyterian Church, where we will set up about 90 chairs; one for each Council Rock family. The chairs will be labeled CR1 through CR90, and as the gifts come in, we will place them on the right chair and check off what’s been received.”
If a gift doesn’t come back or a tag gets lost, no family will be left without presents. “We always make extra angels for that reason,” said Salvatore. “We’ll go to our extra pile or use donated gift cards to fill in the missing items. Our goal is to make sure every single wish is granted.”
Families will come to the church on Monday, December 15, to pick up their gifts. Council Rock social workers and nurses, who help identify eligible families, are on-site to assist with the process. In addition to their gifts, each family will also receive a gift card donated by the Bristol Kiwanis, as well as wrapping paper so they can prepare their own presents at home.
“The families are so grateful,” said Salvatore. “We’ve had parents come in with tears in their eyes. One year, a mother told me her husband had been laid off and they didn’t know how they were going to buy anything for Christmas. The next year, her husband found a new job and she came back to pick an angel. She said, ‘You helped us when we needed it, now I want to help someone else.’ That’s what this program is all about.”
The Angel Tree program is about more than presents; it’s about restoring a sense of hope and togetherness for local families during what can be an especially difficult season.
“Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy,” said Salvatore. “But if you’re a kid watching your friends get gifts and you know your family can’t afford any, that’s tough. This program helps relieve that stress for parents and gives kids something to smile about. It’s about helping families feel whole again.”
Each year, the Rotary Club also hosts a Santa Breakfast for Angel Tree families at the Washington Crossing Inn on the first Saturday in December. The event, which features pancakes, bacon, sausage, and home fries, is served by Rotarians themselves.
“The Inn provides the food, and we provide the help,” said Salvatore. “Every child gets a gift and a photo with Santa. Local businesses pitch in, and you can just see the joy on the kids’ faces. It’s one of my favorite parts of the season.”
In addition, the Rotary hosts a Christmas Party at the Lower Bucks homeless shelter, run by Family Service of Bucks County, and delivers food packages on Christmas Eve to families in the Council Rock District and those living in area motels. On Christmas Day, members serve dinner at the shelter, with food provided by Joe Garvey’s Catering.
The Angel Tree program represents the very best of the Council Rock community spirit; a network of caring people who show up, year after year, to make a difference.
“This community always goes above and beyond,” said Salvatore. “Sometimes a kid will ask for something simple, like a wallet, and when we open it later, there’s a $20 bill inside. People want to give more. They want to make these families feel special.”
For Salvatore, the program reflects the Rotary’s core motto: “Service Above Self.”
“This event supports our mission perfectly,” he said. “We’re out there helping people in need, not worrying about ourselves. And we have a lot of fun doing it. Many of our Rotarians take three or four angels each. Everyone wants to help.”
Over the decades, the program has evolved, expanding beyond the Council Rock School District to include additional families identified by Family Service of Bucks County, particularly those in transitional housing or shelters. Yet the heart of the effort remains rooted in the local community, and in the belief that no child should wake up on Christmas morning without something under the tree.
To volunteer or learn more about the Angel Tree Program, contact Paul Salvatore at 215-312-3527 or email salvatorepaul@hotmail.com.
