BATON ROUGE — The Salvation Army on Wednesday unveiled what it's billing as one of its largest annual Angel Tree campaign ever.

The Christmastime program provides gifts, meals and clothing to families with children. This year, the public is being asked to "adopt" an angel from the Angel Tree and aid 957 kids in the Baton Rouge area.

"We see that the need has grown ever year over the last several years and this year is no different with the economy, the way that it's been," said Capt. Brian Hicks of The Salvation Army Baton Rouge. "A lot of parents are finding that they need a little bit of help to be able to provide some smiles for their kids."

Holmes Building Materials is a key sponsor this year, the Salvation Army said.

"It's a really important event that we have, the Angel Tree Program," the company's owner, Matthew Holmes, said. "Imagine being a child and not having gifts whenever you wake up on Christmas morning."

Several children are on the list for the first time this year, and there have been an increased number of request for toys and clothing.

The Salvation Army asks that donations be in by Dec. 4 — three weeks before Christmas.