One dad who found an Angel Tree tag in a Walmart parking lot and immediately jumped into action to make sure that kid got the Christmas he dreamed of.
According to Gallup, families that make less than $50,000 a year are planning on spending $651 on Christmas gifts. That’s a significant amount of money, especially when you don’t have a lot to work with in the first place. With the cost-of-living crisis seeming to worsen each day, some parents just can’t do what they wish they could to make their children’s Christmas a merry one.
That’s where charitable initiatives like Angel Trees come in. The Salvation Army said they have teamed up with Walmart for more than 40 years to get gifts to children in need by allowing strangers to shop for them. Of course, each gift tag has to be chosen for that to happen.
The dad picked up an Angel Tree tag he saw on the ground and decided to do something about it.
Lloyd Devereux Richards is an author who is known for his good deeds, which his daughter documents on his TikTok account. Recently, he was outside a local Walmart when he found an Angel Tree gift tag on the ground in the parking lot.
“They don’t have the card, so he’s not going to get anything if we don’t do it,” Richards said before turning around and marching back into the store to get the items on the wish list.
The gift tag was for a 10-year-old boy who wanted a World of Warcraft gift card, Legos, and Pokémon. First, Richards looked at the Lego sets. He picked one up but continued to scrutinize the other boxes, saying, “Just making sure there isn’t one he might like more.” With his daughter’s help, he chose a Star Wars set, complete with mini Lightsabers.
Next, Richards picked up several Pokémon toys, some stuffed and some boxed. His daughter located World of Warcraft on the massive wall of gift cards the store had. Then, he decided to add some clothes. “Let’s find him a Pokéman shirt if we can,” he said, adorably mispronouncing the brand name. After procuring a Pokémon t-shirt, Richards said, “Let’s get him something warm.”
What this dad did might seem small, but it’s really going to make a difference in that little boy’s life.
Think about Christmas when you were a kid. You likely woke up early on December 25 and rushed to the Christmas tree to see what Santa brought for you. You loved it.
Some kids don’t have that experience. 2023 research from the U.K. organization Action for Children found that 33% of children between the ages of eight and 18 worried that a friend or classmate would not receive any gifts for Christmas. Thirty-two percent were concerned that a peer wouldn’t get to celebrate Christmas at all because of expenses.
For a lot of us, waking up on Christmas morning to absolutely nothing is unimaginable, even as an adult. Unfortunately, it’s a reality for families all over the world. Richards ensured there would be one less kid who feels left out of the magic of the season.
People were touched by the dad’s simple act of kindness.
The video has over 7 million views and 18,000 comments on TikTok. It even made its way back to Walmart, whose official account commented, “Holiday magic really does exist.” Beauty retailer Sephora also left a nice comment on the video, saying, “Not all angels have wings.”
Antoni Shkraba Studio | Pexels
“Sad it was on the ground, but maybe you were meant to be the one that found it,” someone else said. “This is the best video I’ve seen of Angel Tree shopping,” another added.
The amount of toys and clothes Richards bought certainly wasn’t anything overboard, but it likely wasn’t cheap, even at Walmart. Some people may feel like they can’t do anything to help those in need because of their own financial constraints, but there are plenty of ways to give back without breaking the bank that will make your holiday season truly special.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
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