Call it a holiday miracle.
In an area with the highest unemployment rate in the state, you'd assume any donations to charities are non-existent in Martinsville.At the Martinsville Salvation Army that's not the case.
This week dozens of volunteers play Santa, organizing boxes of toys for kids from the angel tree.
Those angels not pulled from the tree are still given a gift from the groups "toy store" full of toys bought throughout the year.
"Even in the hardest of hard times, this community is a community of giving," said Lt. Lisa Knotts of the Martinsville Salvation Army.
The bikes and dolls are always kept nice and toasty warm here, but a mile up Memorial Boulevard at the administration office there's a different story.
"I was actually wearing my jacket in my office to stay warm," said Michael Bush, the Martinsville Salvation Army treasurer.
The heating system broke last summer. Repairs cost $10,000.
"Especially handling the metal change. Counting it, your hands start to get numb and tingly," Bush said.
With the annual Red Kettle Drive and holiday season still months away asking for donations too early could be risky.
"It was going to have to go on the back burner. It was a little scary because you know we're already in a deficit for this year and so I was concerned," Knotts said.
Then something surprising happened.
"These people pulled together. It might have been a dollar here or two dollars, five dollars, ten dollars but these people pulled together and we were able to raise the funds," Knotts said.
Last week crews installed a new heating system. Division headquarters matched the five thousand dollars to pay the balance of the bill.
A holiday wish granted, dollar by dollar, even when wallets are skinny.
"You have to go out and ask and say, you know, help us out. Because there's people out there willing to give, you just have to be willing to ask," Knotts said.
Back here live at the warehouse the group has enough toys for all 1,400 kids, those angels, to have gifts this Christmas.
To put that in perspective that's four hundred kids more than what the Danville Salvation Army is helping this year.
