Kiwi Spirit Needed to Meet Demand

18 December 2015

Kiwi Spirit Needed to Meet Demand – NZ’s Largest Christmas Appeal Short of 39,000 Gifts

• Only one week remains to support the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal

• To date contributions are just 22% towards the 50,000 gifts needed

• Kmart and The Salvation Army stress that disadvantaged families often have no disposable income come Christmas so urge those that are able to contribute

• With 319 new families reaching out for assistance each week, now more than ever ‘living as one community’ is so very important

The Salvation Army assists over 35,000 families, including 68,000 children, each year who struggle to make ends meet. With 319 new families reaching out for assistance each week, this year’s Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal seeks to ensure countless children as well as adults and seniors experience the joy of Christmas.

Now in its 21st year, this year gift donations still have a long way to go, with only 10,990 collected nationally against a target of 50,000.

Kmart New Zealand’s General Manager, Sue Smith, says the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal is an easy way to help those doing it tough and the company is proud to have collected over 420,000 gifts across its 21-year tenure.

“We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone. We hope those that can make a difference by adding a gift under the Wishing Tree do just that,” says Sue.

The Salvation Army’s Secretary for Social Services, Major Pam Waugh, stresses that contributions to the Appeal mean struggling families can plan and budget for other ongoing costs in the Christmas/New Year period to avoid going into debt.

“Low-income, struggling families face the same social pressures as any other Kiwi family. In wanting to give their families a happy Christmas, it’s easy for some to lose sight of the wider financial implications of their Christmas spending and fall into debt. The Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal helps take the pressure off budgets and is really appreciated by the families we work with.

“Through the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal, we can provide parents with the means to select and wrap gifts for their families to create a sense of celebration come Christmas Day. We hope the public realises how important this Appeal is,” Pam urges.

Participating in the Appeal is easy. Simply place an unwrapped gift under any Wishing Tree located within a Kmart store, including a completed gift tag outlining the gender and age group of the recipient. Alternatively collect a bauble from the Wishing Tree and scan it at the checkout to make a monetary contribution.

Gifts do not need to be purchased from Kmart, but we ask that they are new or hand crafted and they are unwrapped.

Online contributions can also be made by visiting www.kmart.co.nz/wishingtree

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