Hosted for the second year at KMart’s new Dunedin store, the project has been running across New Zealand and Australia for many years.
Shoppers are invited to buy or bring new Christmas gifts suitable for children to place under the tree, which are collected by the Salvation Army and distributed to families.
KMart duty manager Melissa Gawn said the staff were excited to be part of the Wishing Tree project again this year, after collecting gifts last year.
"It is a very meaningful project — it is important that we do things like this to teach our children gratitude at Christmas," she said.
Salvation Army Dunedin community ministries manager captain Logan Bathurst said Christmas could be a tough time for many families and support from the community through projects such as the KMart Wishing Tree was very helpful.
The project is running alongside the Salvation Army’s 2025 Christmas Appeal, in which the organisation invites New Zealanders to "give what you can" to help bring joy to families doing it tough.
The appeal reflected the ongoing cost-of-living pressures faced by many whānau.
Mr Bathurst said services such as foodbanks were stretched and the numbers of people battling to make ends meet grew every year.
The Salvation Army welcomed donations of new gifts, festive treats and food items, as well as donations of funds.
For more information, visit salvationarmy.org.nz/christmas
In addition, Woolworths stores nationwide are collecting food and festive donations to support Salvation Army foodbanks.
