Kmart and Salvation Army launch the nation’s largest gift appeal to combat rising costs this Christmas

When Giulia Coletti was a struggling mother at Christmas, she turned to the Salvos. Now she is volunteering to help others who are doing it tough.

Mother of five Giulia Coletti remembers all too well the pressure of Christmas time when she was a struggling parent.

“Several years ago I walked through the Salvation Army’s doors and I needed help,” she said. “With everything I had been through in life, I was unable to make ends meet or make Christmas a special time for my kids And that’s hard as a mother.”

The Salvos helped her get back on her feet and now she volunteers her time with them to help families in need.

“We help people leaving domestic violence, the homeless, people facing financial strain, people setting up after leaving prison or hospital and have nothing to set up a home with … and a lot of families with young children.”

She said at Christmas the needs are even greater.

Giulia Coletti is looking forward to volunteering this Christmas having been a recipient of the Kmart Wishing Tree Christmas Appeal which supports The Salvation Army. Picture: Toby Zerna

“You want to see your children smile on Christmas Day and sometimes you can’t afford that.

We help a lot of people prepare for it so it is a special day for everyone,” she said.

The charity will partner with Kmart’s Wishing Tree Appeal for the 37th year to help make that happen.

With costs of living continuing to rise, the Salvos are expecting more people will be relying on help this year.

In its Red Shield Report 2024 the organisation found that 74 per cent of the 1500 Australians surveyed said they could not keep up with the rising cost of living and almost a third expected their financial situation to worsen.

Kmart Wishing Trees will take donations of unwrapped gifts and money at its 350 stores from November 11. Picture: Supplied

Now in its 37th year, the Kmart Wishing Tree is the nation’s largest and longest running gift collection drive and has distributed more than 14 million presents and food to those in need

Gifts do not need to be purchased from Kmart but they need to be unwrapped.

Ms Coletti said being able to choose the gift you wanted to give your child rather than being allocated one made the experience all the more personal.

“I got to choose a special present for my children and it made it feel more like Christmas because it was like me going to the store, which I hadn’t been able to do for a long time,” she said.

Anyone who donates money to the Wishing Tree helps provide emergency food relief or Christmas hampers for the big day.

“It makes Christmas,” Ms Coletti said. “You have a meal, you have presents and you’ve got each other.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Kmart CEO John Gualtieri launched the 37th Annual Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal in the members hall at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Prime Minister Albanese launched the appeal on Wednesday by placing the first unwrapped gift of this year under the dedicated tree at Parliament House. He was joined by leader of the opposition Peter Dutton, house speaker Milton Dick and other MPs.

Kmart & Target Chief Executive Officer, John Gualtieri said its 350-store network had a unique role to play as it is part of so many different communities.

“Our teams are focused on actively giving back to these communities in which we operate – and particularly those most vulnerable groups,” he said.

The Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal will run from Monday November 11 to Tuesday 24 December.