NATCHEZ — On Tuesday morning, crossword puzzle in hand, Denise Nelson didn’t have much to do but wait and watch the Angel Tree.

Nelson is a volunteer with the Junior Auxiliary of Natchez, and on Tuesday, it was her shift to watch the tree.

But Nelson and her fellow group of volunteers are doing more than just staring at the tree this Christmas season.

Nelson and other auxiliary volunteers are busy coordinating with local charity groups to get gifts to children who could wake up to an empty tree Christmas morning.

“And that would be terrible,” Nelson said. “No child deserves that.”

The auxiliary’s Angel Tree program works this way: Catholic Charities and the Mississippi Department of Health and Human Services compile a list of the area’s needy children, that list is given to the auxiliary, and an ornament with each child’s name, sex and age is placed on an angel-shaped ornament and hung on the tree.

From there the responsibility falls to the community.

The tree, complete with ornaments, has been set up at Concordia Bank where the entire community is invited to walk in, get an ornament and go shopping.

And the whole program really is that simple.

The auxiliary’s treasurer and co-chair of the tree program Leslie Thompson said to contribute to the effort anyone can pick an ornament and buy an age and gender appropriate gift for the child on the ornament.

The gifts are then dropped off back at the tree and the auxiliary takes care of getting them back to the appropriate charity.

“It’s very easy,” Thompson said. “And (the program) guarantees that these kids will have a gift to open on Christmas.”

But the time to help with the program is coming to a close.

All gifts must be dropped off at the bank by Thursday.

On Tuesday, more then 60 names still hung on the tree, that’s from the 165 the group started out with.

“I think we’ll get there,” Nelson said.

But just in case the ornaments are still there on Thursday, the auxiliary has a plan.

Thompson said the group has a fund that will be tapped to purchase the remainder of the gifts if the community comes up short.

But Thompson said she hopes it doesn’t come to that.

“We want the community to be involved,” she said.

Those without the time to shop can simply make a cash donation.

Thompson said monetary donations can be sent to P.O. Box 1592 Natchez, MS 39121

Checks should be made out to the Junior Auxiliary of Natchez.