CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte is starting gift distribution today for the more than 5,000 kids on its Angel Tree this year.
Area Commander Major Jason Burns has been an officer in The Salvation Army for 16 years. He says every year they meet the demand of families in crisis during the holidays.
“We find families who have lost their jobs. We find families who are struggling with housing. Oftentimes, we’ll get calls at the last minute with a death in the family or fire victims,” said Burns.
Statewide, The Salvation Army says it is serving more than 85,000 kids through the Angel Tree and other local Christmas programs.
“This desire to fill this void for kids is something that tugs at our hearts,” Burns said. “We know that Christmas is the most magical time of the year because of the savior’s birth. So, we want to share that joy and cause great joy in lots of families, not just families in North Carolina and South Carolina, but really across the nation and the world.”
The Salvation Army says requests for help increased nationally by 10% to 40% in some communities in 2022. It anticipates another increase of at least 13% this year.
“What we know is beyond the numbers, that there are families that are engaged in each of those numbers and that those families — the need is real to them. So, we are still here to meet those needs,” said Burns.
Burns says community partnerships, like the 1,000 bike donation from The Spokes Group, make it possible to meet those needs.