Otto's Angels began in 1979 to bring Christmas to needy children, due to guilt Beverly and Steve Wilson felt when she looked at the over-indulgence of her then 2 year-old Stephanie's Santa delivery. After having taught Kindergarten at a school of mainly low income families and having children breaking-her-heart by reporting that Santa "did not stop at my house", this over-indulgence was sinful. Beverly, Steve and friends began Otto's Angels the next Christmas, and the next year incorporated into a Tax Deductable, Non-Profit organization.  A friend (Jackie Terry David) suggested the name, which is after Beverly's Daddy (J.Otto Broussard) who had recently passed away. Otto's Angels got names of children from teacher's recommendations at two or three elementary schools a year (different schools were used each year and did this for 15 years). Otto's Angels would also be given the names and ages of the rest of the children in the family with their addresses and phone numbers. The Executive Board wrote to friends soliciting monetary donations with which shoppers would buy toys and clothes for each child in the family. These gifts were then wrapped, tagged to the child for whom they were bought, from Santa Claus and placed in black garbage bags. The bags were labeled with handmade holly-leaf poster board tags with "To the such-and-such family, From Santa Claus". At this point, the deliverers stepped in and delivered the "Santa" bags to each of the family's homes anonymously. The last year, Otto's Angels delivered to 900 children, spending $20,000. The effort happened each year with no less than forty volunteers and anywhere from two to three hundred monetary donors. It never ceased to amaze us.

Now that Stephanie is 'grown up' she is helping to revive Otto's Angels, by helping the organization redirect their efforts to focus on helping the Katrina victims.  100% of all donations are used to get supplies to the people affected by Hurricane Katrina. 

You may be asking "how can I help the victims of Katrina"...well, you can help us help our friends and family and fellow affected southerners.  We are collecting goods to donate to shelters, as well as money to help us get the goods to the shelters or to purchase items that are needed at the shelters!   Visit our "donate" page and see how you can help!!! 

Thank you in advance for your help and prayers!