The Salvation Army is a well-known Social Services organization, serving 30 million people annually through their wide-array of programs and services.  That is a pretty impressive feat, one nearly impossible to fulfill without an army of volunteers to help.  The Salvation Army in Tyler saw over 3,700 volunteers in 2015 alone. One of their incredible volunteers of 2015 was Mr. Phillip Farrington, 81. Farrington has chosen for the last 19 years to volunteer for The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree, their Christmas Assistance program for families.  In 2015, they distributed toys for nearly 3,000 children and senior citizens in the community. When parents or seniors come to pick up their gifts and food items, Farrington is the very first person they see or hear. He greets them with a warm smile at the door and takes the time to thoughtfully explain the process to our first-time clients. Farrington is beyond valuable to the Salvation Army operation because he’s a gifted bilingual communicator, being raised to speak both Spanish and English as a young child. Because of this, he is able to equally greet all of the clients that we serve with dignity and honor. 

Mr. Farrington says that his favorite things about The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree are “the absolute smiles that people have when we advise them that they are getting their gifts.” It’s a joy that he has returned for year after year, and plans to return for again in 2016 for his 20th year of volunteer service to his community. 

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