Haynes and Boone, LLP lawyers and staff are bringing holiday cheer to 140 children and elders in need through The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program again this year.
On Dec. 5, employees at the firm helped load The Salvation Army antique fire engine and waiting trucks with hundreds of bags packed with clothes, toys and other items that they bought for their Angel Tree recipients. This marked the 10th year the firm has teamed with PlainsCapital Bank and HFF on the Angel Tree project.
“We get as much out of adopting angels each year as those who receive the gifts,” said Haynes and Boone Partner Sue Murphy, who has led the firm’s Angel Tree efforts for the past decade. “Thank you to everyone who volunteered to make this Christmas memorable to so many people instead of making it a Christmas that they wish to forget.”
Murphy, who will retire from the firm at the end of the month, thanked her Angel Tree program successors – Partner Monika Sanford and Associate Nick Monier – for continuing to grow and lead the tradition. “This project will be bigger and better every year under their leadership,” she said.
Murphy also thanked the library, mail room and facilities staffers who helped collect and move the bags of donations. The Haynes and Boone team joined PlainsCapital Bank Victory Park President J.J. Gomez and Salvation Army DFW Metroplex Commander Major Jonathan Rich at the delivery event at 2323 Victory Ave., where they loaded 354 gifts onto the trucks.
Maj. Rich called the scene “a miracle.”
“I have never seen anything quite like what I am seeing here today with the three different companies partnering to collect gifts,” he said. “With your contributions, more than 50,000 people in the DFW area will receive gifts. You’re making it possible for them to have a Christmas. Thank you for entrusting us to be the conduit to make that happen.”
Gomez added: “You are such a giving group. I’m humbled to know we are all on the same page and we are willing to give to people we will never meet.”
Haynes and Boone volunteers said they were eager to participate because they understand the need in the community and know how much the gifts mean to the recipients.
Sanford, who has a 2-year-old son, said her family bought gifts for another 2-year-old boy. “It struck us how many children are in need and how easy it is to help less fortunate families,” she said.
Monier, a former 4th and 5th-grade teacher, said he focused on that age group for his gift-buying. “I always try to think about what kids that age need and want. That was the inspiration for my gifts,” he said.
Recipients of Angel Tree gifts come from families who have applied for Christmas assistance through The Salvation Army. The organization’s holiday collection drive emphasizes items that people need, such as clothing, shoes and coats, as well as holiday wish items like toys. Volunteers choose angel cards with information about the recipients and then shop for those specific “angels.”
Today, the trucks loaded with gifts drove to the Christmas Distribution Center following a tour of downtown Dallas. The Salvation Army will deliver the gifts to recipients in time for Christmas.