The Community Angels program’s Christmas tree is now set up and taking gifts until Wednesday, Dec. 17, at the Cottonwood Recreation Center to ensure that working-class families in the Cottonwood–Oak Creek School District have a merry holiday.
The Senior Giving Tree is also collecting donations for seniors in need through the Verde Valley Care Givers Coalition. These gifts, which typically include warm clothing, self-care items, and other essential goods, support 80 to 100 seniors in Cottonwood and so far 60 students have signed up for the 2025 program.
“What would I ask Santa for this year?” Parks, Recreation & Library Director Jak Teel said. “I want to make sure all kids have a good Christmas and a place to go, and they feel warm and love on the holidays. As far as material things [for myself] I’m a Milwaukee Tool guy. I don’t ask for much.”
Parks & Rec. partners with COCSD each year to support economically disadvantaged students through its holiday giving tree program. According to Teel, the school district confidentially identifies students and shares only each child’s age along with a list of needs, wants and wishes. Staff convert each list into an anonymous tag and place the tags on a tree inside the Rec Center. Residents select a tag and purchase the requested items and return the gifts to the center, where city staff wrap the presents before sending them to the school district, who distributes them to students.
“Last year, we ended with around 110 kids, and our biggest year was about 150 in 2019 or 2020,” Teel said. “[While] we don’t have identifying information about the kids, we do get details about what they like and what they’re hoping to receive, like a 13-year-old boy who loves video games and race cars, or a girl who wants makeup kits or board games. It’s always a wide variety.”
Donors for the senior program typically bring care items such as warm jackets, socks, books and hygiene products. Children can also stop by the Rec Center to drop off letters to Santa.
Include a self-addressed envelope with your letter to Santa, the Parks & Rec stated. “Children can expect a letter from Santa himself all the way from the North Pole. No postal stamp is needed. Letters can be put in the special mailbox through TBD. The sooner you send in your letter the better the chance that Santa will have time to respond before Christmas. He gets quite busy during this time of year.”
Parks & Rec also supports the Cottonwood Police Department’s Shop With a Cop on Saturday, Dec. 13, which brings together agencies across the Verde Valley.
“Shop with a Cop typically takes 50 children shopping with a cop,” CPD Administrative Support Supervisor Jen Mathe, wrote. “We select 50 children to attend the event.”
Finally Breakfast with Santa returns to the Cottonwood rec center on Saturday, Dec. 20, from 8 to 10 a.m. serving a free pancake breakfast.
