Kid Connections, Help-In-Crisis and the Cherokee Nation want to prevent the growing economic woes from claiming children as victims this Christmas season.

It’s a big task, officials say, and it can’t be accomplished without the public’s help.

“This year, more than any other year, because of the economic crisis, the need for the community to help us is great,” said Kid Connections Director Regina Martin.

The Angel Tree project is a partnership among local groups to make sure children don’t go without gifts this holiday season. Through an application process, and partnering with Cherokee Nation and HIC, Martin and Kid Connections Event Coordinator Sarah Grimes-Troutt put up for adoption as many angels as possible to businesses, churches and other entities.

Cherokee Nation takes on “angels” who are tribal members in its 14-county jurisdiction; HIC helps its clients; and Kid Connections takes the remaining needs and disperses them out to other willing hosts.

“And these places still need their congregations’ help, the public’s help,” said Martin. “Right now, after we have adopted out all we can adopt out, the tree at Wal-Mart has 368 angels. That’s almost double from last year, and that’s just one tree.”

With hard times around the nation, Martin said it’s hitting home like she’s never before seen.

“We are seeing people this year who have never been on the tree before,” said Martin.

Grimes-Troutt said the public can help local children by visiting one of the numerous trees in Tahlequah, selecting an angel, and shopping for a gift for that child. The cards on the trees give ages, important clothing sizes and other information, like what kind of toy that particular child would like to have for Christmas.

“It might say, this particular child might like Dora [the Explorer],” said Grimes-Troutt.

Shoppers can purchase gifts for the child or children selected from the tree and return them to the Angel Tree location unwrapped.

“We need to be able to see the gift,” said Grimes-Troutt. “It’s really a matter of safety.”

Angel Tree tags will be attached to the proper gift, and be sent to Kid Connections, where the staff will work to organize them and eventually contact parents to pick up the gift. Those on the tree range in age up to 18, and some haven’t been born yet.

“We took some [applications] for babies who will be born in December, around Christmas,” said Grimes-Troutt. “They’ll need things, too, like blankets and such.”

Margaret Cook, home visitation coordinator for HIC, says the public is helping children in need, not necessarily the entities hosting an Angel Tree.