Observer readers help single mother of six this holiday through Empty Stocking Fund

Liz Rothaus Bertrand
·4 min read

There have been some big changes for Shanice Geiger and her blended family this year.

She and her four biological children and two foster children moved into a new home in July. They needed the extra space as the kids, ranging in age from 5 to 17, are getting older. But it’s been tough with other rising expenses.

“It’s harder to put smiles on their faces when you have to worry about making sure that they can have a place to lay their head, a warm place to lay down and some running water,” said Geiger, 35, who trains employees in Spectrum’s call center.

Geiger assumed legal custody for her foster children because a relative, the children’s mother, was unable to financially support them and struggled with addiction. Nadya, 17, moved into Geiger’s Charlotte home five years ago and her 5-year-old brother, Ayden, joined them several years ago.

Ayden started school this year and recently began therapy to address illnesses related to his biological mother’s addiction, Geiger said.

An increase in rent plus these new medical expenses have made it especially challenging as Geiger looks toward the holidays, she said. So Geiger reached out to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte’s Angel Tree program for assistance.

The program matches children in need with anonymous donors who buy them presents for Christmas. In cases where donors don’t step up, Charlotte Observer readers cover the expense by giving to the Empty Stocking Fund, which the Observer has sponsored since about 1920.

Shanice Geiger, center, with her children. From left, Zion, age 15, Kaleb, age 12, Christian, age 9, Ayden, 5 and Zachary, 13. Not pictured is Nadya, age 17. The family is receiving holiday presents thanks to the Observer’s Empty Stocking Fund and the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program.
Shanice Geiger, center, with her children. From left, Zion, age 15, Kaleb, age 12, Christian, age 9, Ayden, 5 and Zachary, 13. Not pictured is Nadya, age 17. The family is receiving holiday presents thanks to the Observer’s Empty Stocking Fund and the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program.

About the Empty Stocking Fund

Last season, Observer readers donated $164,526 to the campaign that helps provide gifts for kids, as well as senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Money raised by the 2022 Empty Stocking Fund campaign allowed The Salvation Army to purchase more than 12,000 toys for this year’s campaign, along with the gift cards for seniors, foster children and adults with disabilities.

The 2023 Angel Tree program will help about 4,000 families in Mecklenburg and Union counties this holiday season, representing 5,500 children, Salvation Army officials said.

And the program is providing gift cards to 1,500 seniors and 400 people with disabilities, according to The Salvation Army. In 2022, the program served 2,607 families representing 6,662 children. In addition, the program served 1,715 seniors and provided 407 gift cards for foster children and individuals with disabilities.

Geiger used the Angel Tree program once before, more than a decade ago. That was the first year she was on her own with her three oldest biological kids.

“I’m the type of person that only uses the resources when I truly, truly needed it,” she said. “And this year I felt like I really, really needed it because we’re going over some hurdles right now.”

What the kids want for Christmas

Geiger said 5-year-old Ayden is “all about cars… he wants to be a car himself.” He asked for a motorized scooter.

Christian, 9, is fascinated by science and math, and has asked for a chemistry set this Christmas. The other children, Kaleb, 12, Zachary, 13, Zion, 15, and Nadya, age 17, have all asked for gift cards for video games. “If it’s not the PlayStation, it’s Roblox,” Geiger said. “So that’s all that they’re asking for.”

The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte’s annual Angel Tree program has begun. The program provides toys for children in need. On Tuesday, November 10, 2023 the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary group met for a stocking-stuffing event.
The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte’s annual Angel Tree program has begun. The program provides toys for children in need. On Tuesday, November 10, 2023 the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary group met for a stocking-stuffing event.

Special Christmas Traditions

Geiger and her children will spend Christmas in Charlotte with Geiger’s sister, whom she calls her best friend. The rest of their extended family live in Columbia. Getting down there with all six kids on Christmas day is just too challenging, Geiger said.

The kids usually open gifts in the morning and the family enjoys a relaxed brunch together.

“We have all this breakfast food all over and we eat on that all day, while the kids play. And we probably (will) go back to sleep because we’ve been up all night wrapping gifts—that’s traditionally what we do,” she said.

Geiger said she and the children are still working on assembling their furniture. She hopes it will be ready in time for them to host Christmas at their new home this year.

She also said she wished more people knew about the Angel Tree Program.

“I do love the fact that it’s out there,” she said, “especially when you need a little bit of assistance to make people a little bit happy. It’s not about the amount of gifts you have or what you can do. It’s just putting a smile on people’s face.”

How to donate

To donate online, visit Empty Stocking Fund CLT.org.

To donate by mail, send checks to: The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte, PO Box 31128, Charlotte NC 28231. Make checks payable to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte and write “Empty Stocking Fund” in the memo line.