Salvation Army Christmas drive gets high-tech update

STUART, Fla. - If you hate shopping during the holiday season and avoid the mall like the plague, there's a new way to help the Salvation Army help hundreds of local families in need.

Online.

The Salvation Army teamed up with JCPenney for its Angel Tree program this year.  You can "adopt" a angel from your community, a child who would otherwise not get presents this Christmas. 

Order the presents through JCPenney's website and the store will ship the gifts to your local Salvation Army chapter for free.

Just go to http://jcp.com/angel to learn more.

The Salvation Army also has an iPhone app this holiday season.  The free app allows you to ring a virtual bell and also has a link to donate online.

Local chapters hope the high-tech updates will help donations this year.

Major Debra Gesner says kettle donations are down about 20%.

St. Lucie, Martin and Indian River Counties all have hundreds of children waiting to be chosen from their Angel Trees.

About 83 cents of every dollar donated goes back to the local community.

The Salvation Army provides food, rental assistance and help for the homeless, along with many other programs.