One of the most iconic images of any Christmas campaign is the ubiquitous red kettle of the Salvation Army. Deposits made to the kettle each season are critical to the mission of the Army which works year round to provide for a better life for those who are down on their luck or simply have no other resources to help them. Most notable, as always, is the work of the Army each Christmas season to brighten the holiday for children and others who otherwise would be barren come Christmas morning. Sadly, this Christmas campaign is running the risk of falling well short of the goal established when budgets were set earlier in the year.
As a result, the local Salvation Army is asking the Berrien County community for financial support to help them meet their Red Kettle Campaign goal. To date, donations at Red Kettle locations are down year-over-year.
Donations at Christmas, including those collected at Red Kettle locations throughout the local community, serve as a financial springboard to finance programs and services which The Salvation Army provides year-round. Budgets are reviewed every January with close attention paid to the results of the Red Kettle Campaign. If the shortfall is acute, funding for some programs and services may have to be scaled back.
Several culturally-related factors may be contributing to the Red Kettle shortfall this year. Increasingly, individuals are finding that doing their Christmas shopping online is safe and convenient – meaning fewer people are in stores and malls during the Holidays. Also, the public is carrying less cash, instead relying on debit and credit cards for financial transactions. In addition, most areas have experienced an unseasonably warm fall and a mild early winter. Snow and colder temperatures typically bring-out the Christmas spirit and an increased sense of generosity.
Major David Womack is the Corps Officer for the Benton Harbor Salvation Army. He says, “Although our Red Kettle numbers are down, we are cautiously optimistic that we will ultimately make our goal. At the same time, there is cause for concern – as we are less than a week from Christmas, at which time the Red Kettles disappear from stores and street corners for another year. The Salvation Army continues to count on the generosity of the community to financially support us so we in-turn will be able to provide the programs and services which are vital to our local neighbors in need.”
The public can support The Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign at Red Kettle sites throughout Western Berrien County, or by phone at 1-800-SAL-ARMY, or even by mailing financial gifts directly to the local Salvation Army at 233 Michigan Street, Benton Harbor, MI 49022.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church and has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since 1865. Nearly 33 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. About 82-cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in nearly 9,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to salvationarmyusa.org
