Salvation Army Christmas Center has a new home in Charlotte this holiday season

The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte has a new location in north Charlotte this year for its massive Christmas operation, where it will help thousands of families in need with gifts for children and senior citizens.

The charity’s Christmas Center has moved to 9315 N. Tryon Street, in a former Kohl’s department store that sits across from the entrance to UNC Charlotte.

For nearly 10 years, the Salvation Army had leased a former Wal-Mart off Arrowood Road to hold both the registration and distribution of gifts. But the owner of that property put it up for sale and the site is being developed, said Brent Rinehart, a spokesman for the Salvation Army.

The Christmas Center is where people apply to sign up their family members for the program. Children’s requests are put on tags that are hung on “angel trees” in businesses and shopping centers across the Charlotte region every holiday season. People can also sign up to fill a child’s or elderly person’s wish list through this link.

Last year, nearly 7,400 children received toys and nearly 1,500 seniors received gifts thanks to donors across Charlotte who “adopted” their wish lists.

Registration for families begins Monday and continues through Oct. 29.

Registration must be done in person at the Christmas Center. The requirements are listed here for children and here for senior citizens.

The Salvation Army is also seeking volunteers throughout the holiday season with registration, the intake of gifts and distribution. To learn how to volunteer, click here.

This year, the Charlotte Observer will once again hold its annual Empty Stocking Fund campaign to raise money for gifts in cases where there were no donations or gifts were not returned. Last year, Observer readers donated more than $230,000.

The Charlotte Observer has sponsored the Empty Stocking Fund since about 1920.

This story was originally published October 2, 2019 at 12:00 AM.