Nearly 150 people signed up for Christmas assistance at the Salvation Army headquarters in Macon on Monday, the first day of registration.

In all, the 147 adults who registered at the Broadway site also signed up 588 children, said Naomi Ladson, the Salvation Army’s social services director.

The registration continues 9 a.m.-3 p.m. through Friday.

In Houston County, about 100 adults signed up Monday, registering about 300 children.

“This is a little bit more than we usually have on the first day,” said Ladson, who has been helping coordinate the registrations for about 19 years.

“We try not to turn anyone away,” receptionist Connie Plunkett said.

The first couple of days of the sign-ups are generally the most busy, Plunkett said, probably because people think the assistance is first come, first served.

“These were fantastic people,” Ladson said. “Everyone was so calm.”

The Salvation Army plans to have its Angel Trees at Macon Mall and other location across Macon again this year. The trees have notes about children as well as senior citizens in the community, listing their ages, clothing sizes and wishes for Christmas. Members of the community pull one or more of the notes and fill the wishes.

“The community does such a wonderful job,” Ladson said.

Even if a child’s card is not pulled from an Angel Tree, he or she will still get toys, Ladson said.

The Salvation Army also collects canned goods from food drives sponsored by businesses and schools in town. Volunteers sort the canned goods and box them up to give away to the families. That food is distributed before Thanksgiving and then again in December.

In the coming weeks, the Salvation Army will compare Christmas assistance sign-ups with other charities, including Kids Yule Love, the Macon Rescue Mission, Toys for Tots and a few churches to make sure there are no duplications.

The people who signed up Monday appreciated the support, Ladson said. Several of them approached her afterward to ask if they could help by doing volunteer work.