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A seemingly unending array of gift bags and packages wrapped in black and white patterned paper were plucked from under a pair of Christmas trees and carried by Walmart employees to a table in front of the Sarkisian family.
As the gifts piled up, the impact became overwhelming—both for the Sarkisians and those in attendance of the event held Dec. 6, 2024, outside the Walmart in Burbank, California, which marked the ceremonial launch of The Salvation Army and Walmart’s partnership for the Angel Tree and Red Kettle campaigns.
“We probably need to use one of our delivery vans to get it over to their house,” said Steve Schrobilgen, Walmart Senior Vice President of Operations and The Salvation Army National Advisory Board Member.
Like many families who receive support from The Salvation Army, the Sarkisians filled out a Christmas wish list this year. They emigrated to the U.S. from Iraq 12 years ago and connected with The Salvation Army, which was able to help them.
The Burbank Walmart store fulfilled every item from their list as part of their support of The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree campaign.
“Thank you for everything,” Arsen Sarkisian said. “The surprise for Christmas not just helped my family, it’s helped me—because even for me [I received] toys and some stuff for my home.”
This Christmas, countless families like the Sarkisians had clothes and toys under the tree thanks to the generous partnership of Walmart, which has supported The Salvation Army’s mission in brightening the holidays for those in need for more than 40 years, often providing critical assistance, shelter and food.
This year, through Schrobilgen’s leadership in Walmart’s Western Business Unit and as a member of The Salvation Army’s National Advisory Board, the long-standing partnership has been revitalized, aiming to help more people in need.
“At Walmart, we try and are striving to make it not only the best place to work, but we also want it to be the best place to shop. In order for us to do that…our purpose is that we’ve got to help people save money and live better,” Schrobilgen said. “The Salvation Army helps fulfill that cause by helping each other live better within the communities we serve, so that partnership, I think, is super important.”
In July, Schrobilgen led a group of 13 Market Managers and Store Managers from the Western Business Unit on a tour of the Harbor Light Center and the Joseph McFee Center in San Francisco. The impact trickled down into local markets, like Burbank, where Burbank Store Manager Hal Halmon was encouraged to increase the store’s engagement.
Halmon not only ensured the Sarkisians’ wish list was fulfilled but helped The Salvation Army Burbank-Glendale Corps with the food needed to serve a Thanksgiving meal to 150 people, supplied countless toys for children registered through Angel Tree and presented Burbank-Glendale Corps Officer Captain Quinton Markham with a local grant for $3,000 at the event to ensure the rest of the toys needed could be purchased.
“I am a little boy from Detroit, Michigan…I know what it is for lights not to be on. I know what it is to have a [Cheez Whiz] sandwich. I know what it is to have to walk to school or walk to work. So…it means something personal to me,” he said. “It meant that everything that I went through in life, and where I am in life now, that I can finally give back.”
Salvation Army units are invited to engage in Walmart’s Spark Good programs to submit activity requests for Angel Tree and Red Kettle campaigns to take place at Walmart and Sam’s Club locations. Walmart Store and club managers collaborate with local Salvation Army units to help execute the campaigns.
Beyond the holiday campaign, many local Salvation Army units engage in Walmart Spark Good year-round to apply for grants, host volunteerism events and reserve space in front of Walmart locations.
This Christmas, Schrobilgen worked with Walmart leadership to help champion the impact local units have in serving the community. This included helping build a deeper connection between the stores/clubs and the local units to strengthen community support for the holiday season. They also encouraged store and club managers to hold activations beyond the national partnership, including participating in a weekend of volunteering as bellringers, Dec. 6-9.
That weekend, The Salvation Army Western Territory reported $527,052 was raised at Walmart stores, including over $132,000 raised by Walmart volunteers who signed up through Register to Ring.
“We really do appreciate the friendship…The Salvation Army relationship that’s been more than 40 years in the making,” Schrobilgen said.
The impact continues in the communities across the Western U.S. In Tulare, an agricultural area in California’s Central Valley region, Walmart associates volunteered with The Salvation Army to assemble food boxes for local families. By leveraging the Walmart Spark Good volunteerism program, the local Salvation Army unit reported receiving $9,500 to support ongoing programs that provide food, shelter and other critical services.
At the furthest north Walmart in Fairbanks, Alaska, standing outside for kettles can be tough due to the frigid temperatures, said Fairbanks Corps Officer Captain Jon Tollerud.
“This year, [Store Manager] Joe and his team actually stood at the kettle stands on Dec. 14,” he said. “This gave us a shot in the arm in a down year.”
More than 100 Walmart associates in Northern California volunteered Dec. 12 to sort hundreds of toys delivered through the Angel Tree program, ensuring they were ready for distribution to families in need.
In Solano County, California, Suisun City Kroc Center Corps Officer Lt. Andrew Flockhart said no volunteers had signed up for the Dixon Walmart location after several weeks. Several days later, Flockhart said associates stepped up to volunteer and the store had raised $300, through the Walmart Spark Good volunteerism program.
In the weeks following, the Kroc Center got similar offers from Walmart stores in nearby Suisun, Vacaville and Fairfield.
“They even generated some friendly competition between them, picking a weekend where they competed to see which Walmart could raise the most funds in their kettle,” Flockhart said, adding the Dixon and Suisun Walmart locations arranged to have local fire and police departments join in the competition.
The result? The Suisun City Kroc Center reported the four Walmart locations raised $2,379 through their employees and partnerships, which Flockhart said helped the corps surpass its gross income from the previous year.
“These Walmarts really went above and beyond in their partnership with us this season,” he said. “In addition to [the kettles], they helped us collect enough Angel Tree donations to help 944 children receive Christmas presents and they provided donations of toys and food to support our holiday programs.”
In the Pacific Northwest, Divisional Commander Lt. Colonel Cindy Foley said Angel Trees and/or kettles are present in all 80 of the Walmart locations division wide.
“Walmart is a longstanding partner with The Salvation Army, but the expanded opportunities this year are injecting a fresh spirit of creativity into our efforts, growing our relationships with store managers and deepening our joint commitment to meeting the needs of the local community,” she said.
Foley said five days after Angel Trees had gone up, Puyallup (Washington) Corps Officer Captain Ryan Miller reported receiving more than 500 toys from the three Walmart stores in East Pierce County.
Chehalis Walmart Store Manager Matt Alexander said lighthearted competition among associates brought holiday cheer—bells would often ring out when they received a donation. The Chehalis Walmart also devoted prime real estate, inside the store, to The Salvation Army for the Angel Tree campaign.
“It warms my heart in a way,” Alexander said. “I know what I’m doing to help someone…it may not be what I see directly. I know somewhere somebody is having a better day because I helped an organization that gave back to them.”
Western Territorial Commander Commissioner Douglas Riley received a note from one of the managers who participated in the trip to the programs in San Francisco.
It read: “I remember going to The Salvation Army church, filling out a form to tell them what I wanted for Christmas…Just filling out the form made me feel special. I was so happy to think that I might actually get a gift from Santa. My family had to go to the food bank on a weekly basis just to receive food.
“I will forever be grateful for the help that my family received and the fact that I got a toy that I was able to open up that Christmas. No family should have the stress about gifts for kids, no family on top of that should have to be worried about paying bills or eating. I remember that feeling all too well. I remember being so happy for the gift that I got from The Salvation Army.”
“This partnership is going to bring hope and love and the story of Christmas to other people,” Riley said. “Be blessed in knowing what you’re doing and the impact that you make. It’s significant.”
In total, during the 2024 holiday season, The Salvation Army Western Territory reported Walmart stores across the Western Territory raised $4,636,686, up nearly 17 percent from 2023. Additionally, the Angel Tree campaign saw a dramatic increase, both in the total number of angels adopted (up 134 percent) and in the total number of in-kind items donated (up 94 percent).
Western Territory Chief Secretary Colonel Eddie Vincent and Intermountain Divisional Commander Major Nesan Kistan attended the Walmart West Business Unit Managers Meeting in Denver, where they thanked the Walmart leaders for their partnership last Christmas.
Reflecting on the impact of the collaboration, Vincent said, “At the heart of this partnership is the shared belief that no one should be left behind during the holidays. We extend our deepest gratitude to Walmart for helping us brighten the season for so many families.”
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