.265“This is the largest thing we do all year,” said Salvation Army Captain Doug McClure. “This is a critical time of year.”
.265The Southwest Georgia chapter raised $64,629, all of which went to serve it’s nine-county area.
“What is raised here stays here,” McClure said.
The official kick-off for this year’s campaign will be Friday in front of the Albany Mall at 10 a.m. It is scheduled to run until Dec. 24.
“The Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign is important because it reminds all of us each year of the ongoing needs in our communities and renews our commitment to another year of making a life-changing difference in the lives of people who are in need,” said Salvation Army Georgia Development Associate Director Valerie Phillips Johnson.
“The Red Kettle campaign helps us put faces to the growing numbers of people in need that we read about daily and gives everyone the chance to do the most good with what they have through The Salvation Army,” she continued.
In recent years, the Salvation Army has had to undergo obstacles to maximize the impact of the Red Kettle drive. Specifically, the biggest challenge is getting around solicitation policies.
“We are thankful to our partners; its getting tougher,” said McClure. “There are some stores nationally that don’t allow solicitation. Some stores don’t even own the land.”
Despite such obstacles, the Salvation Army is usually able to raise $200 to $300 at one location in a 10 hour period, McClure said.
“If everyone in Dougherty County gave $1, we would have everything we would need this year,” he said.
Some of the locations the Salvation Army will appear this year include Albany Mall, Wal-Mart, Sam’s, Kmart, Hobby Lobby, Winn-Dixie, Roses and select Harvey’s locations.
“We are thankful for these stores,” said McClure. “This is one of the marks of the Christmas season. People will be out shopping, and I hope they will remember the Salvation Army.”
The Salvation Army is also hosting the Online Red Kettle in which donors can contribute via www.onlineredkettle.org. There is an option on the Web site to choose which kettle an individual wants to contribute to.
“Undoubtedly, our current economic times are challenging for almost everyone, but we hope and pray that loyal and new donors will give generously to the traditional Red Kettle as well as the Online Red Kettle that makes giving those virtual kettles sponsored by family members, friends and colleagues convenient and easy,” said Johnson.
The Salvation Army is also looking for volunteer bell-ringers. For more information, call (229) 430-2120..
