Angels Afoot
Giving joy, love, and hope to those in need.
Each Christmas season we're reminded of God's amazing and enduring love for all people as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. With Angels Afoot, we have the opportunity to generously share God's joy, love, and hope with our poor and underprivileged neighbors through the simple act of giving gifts.
We invite you to join us as we celebrate our 27th year of Angels Afoot.
Angels Afoot: Gift Drive & Toy Stores
Gift Drive FOR local agencies
With our Gift Drive, Riverbenders buy and wrap gifts for specific children according to their wish lists. We partner with Austin area agencies to provide gifts to the children they serve. These kids are often in foster care, shelters, or other difficult situations, and giving them gifts is a way that we can help provide them with a sense of hope and joy each holiday season. We partner specifically with organizations who actively care for at-risk or otherwise underprivileged kids in the greater Austin area.
Partner Organizations: CASA, Any Baby Can, SAFE Alliance, Healthy Families, Settlement Home, Children’s Partnerships, and Partnerships for Children.
RIVERBEND Christmas Toy Stores
With our Toy Stores, Riverbenders assist our team in purchasing toys that we use to create our very own pop-up toy stores at our South and East Austin Neighborhood Development Centers, and in Mexico. The purpose is to allow parents to have an opportunity to provide gifts for their children for just a nominal fee, when they might not otherwise be able to, resulting in a sense of dignity that is emotionally significant. Many volunteers help with setup, shopping, and wrapping at these very festive and spiritually powerful events.
The Toy Stores will be open on DEC 7, 14, and 15, keep scrolling for more info.
There are three simple ways to help us this year.
1. Donating
We know that this is a busy time of year. If you don’t think you’ll have the time to go out and shop, we have two easy solutions. You can simply click on the “Donate to Angels Afoot” and we will shop for you. Or you can click on our Online Kindness Store and choose from available gifts that you feel called to donate. In either case, we’ll take care of the rest!
2. Buying Gifts
For the Gift Drive FOR OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, select a tag(s) before or after our Sunday morning services. Purchase a new (not used) gift from the tag's suggestions or an age-appropriate gift. Gifts should cost no more than $40. Make sure to follow the tags' instructions — some gifts are wrapped, and others are not.
Additionally, you can buy gifts directly for Partnerships For Children (one of our Gift Drive partners) through a convenient Amazon Wish List. Please order by November 25 and your gifts will be sent directly to Partnerships for Children if you select the Gift Registry Address option when shipping your gift!
3. Volunteering
Volunteering with Angels Afoot is easy and fun. Each year we have volunteers that come out to help out each Sunday with our Gift Drive at Riverbend, and volunteers that help staff our Toy Stores in South & East Austin, and in Mexico. This year, we have the following volunteer opportunities:
NOV: Sunday morning volunteers at Riverbend - Register here >
DEC 6-8: Christmas Toy Store @ Mexico | Piedras Negras - Register here >
DEC 10: Gift Loading & Delivery Day at Riverbend - Register here >
DEC 14: Christmas Toy Store @ East Austin - Register here >
DEC 15: Toy Store @ South Austin - Register here >
For more info about any of our Angels Afoot volunteer opportunities, please contact Krista Ross.
Adopt a tree to provide gifts of joy, love, and hope.
Christmas is a time of year where we feel the spark of generosity, compassion, and anticipation of things to come. There are so many fantastic causes that allow us to respond to these promptings, but it's not uncommon for us to start to lose that spark once the new year hits. With Angels Afoot Adopt A Tree for Christmas, we're giving you an opportunity to make an investment that will last for years to come.
We're looking for 12 families, individuals, or even groups, who will adopt a tree, with all proceeds going to benefit Angels Afoot. Your tree will help families in need experience the love and provision of God this Christmas season. Your adopted tree will be on the Plaza for the month of December, and you are invited to decorate your tree. In the new year, we'll be planting your adopted tree on our campus. Each year, your tree will serve as a symbol of our commitment as a church to generously help those in need.