Calling all angels to make a difference this season

A local bank is asking community members to make an effort this holiday season to answer the wishes of children across Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties.

OceanFirst Bank, which has its headquarters in Toms River, is reaching out to surrounding communities to participate in the Salvation Army's Angel Giving Tree program, according to a press release.

"The Angel Tree program is a wonderful way to brighten the holidays for many children throughout the community," Vito Nardelli, chief operating officer and executive vice president of OceanFirst Bank, said in the press release. "OceanFirst Bank is proud to support the Salvation Army and applauds the generosity of everyone involved."

From Nov. 27 through Dec. 11, every OceanFirst Bank branch will have a holiday tree in its lobby adorned with angel tags. Each tag will display the age and gender of a child being served by the Salvation Army.

Customers and members of the public are welcome to take a tag and purchase a gift. Gifts with the tag attached should be returned to an OceanFirst Bank. The Salvation Army asks that all gifts be new and unopened.

Local participating branches include the Concordia office at 1600 Perrineville Road in Monroe, the office at 260 N. County Line Road in Jackson and the Poet's Square office at 48 Thoreau Drive in Freehold Township.

Founded in 1902, OceanFirst Bank is a federally chartered stock savings bank with $2.1 billion in assets. With 17 of its 21 branches located in Ocean County, OceanFirst also serves Monmouth and Middlesex counties.

For information and more branch locations, visit www.oceanfirst.com.