With Christmas only two days away, the Salvation Army is calling on shoppers to help it reach its annual Red Kettle Campaign goal.
The Salvation Army needs an additional $394,000 to reach its goal of $2.49 million – it’s short $73,000 at its Allegheny County locations.
“Currently we’re at about 85 percent of our goal,” Major Mark Mackneer, General Secretary in the Western Pennsylvania Division and Allegheny County Coordinator, said. “So we’re looking for these last two days for the last minute shoppers who are out there shopping not to forget about the Salvation Army and the Red Kettle.”
Of the 39 Salvation Army Worship and Service Centers, 13 have kettle totals at less than 70 percent of their individual goals – including ones in Bradford, New Castle and Pittsburgh.
Mackneer said first and foremost, the funds go to helping families during the holidays such as ensuring they have a meal on Thanksgiving.
“Then at Christmas we interview and take applications for families, and so families receive either gift cards for their food or some of our locations we’ll do food baskets,” Mackneer said. “And if they have children in the family, we’ll make sure the children have toys for Christmas, as well.”
He said it also goes towards helping the organization continue to operate.
“This is the biggest fundraiser we have in the Salvation Army,” Mackneer said. “And it not only goes to support all that we do at Christmas – with the toys and the food and helping families – but also just to help the ongoing budget, the operating budget throughout the year of all of our centers in western Pennsylvania.”
He said if the organization does not reach its goal, they must find other ways to raise money or trim costs.
Donations can be made at the Red Kettles, at the Salvation Army’s Community Corp. centers or online.
Mackneer said the priority of the Salvation Army has always been to serve people.
“And we don’t ever want to have to be placed in a situation where we cut services,” Mackneer said. “And that’s why these last two days are so very important – of the upmost importance – for us to continue to raise the funds, so that we can do the work that we do in these communities that we serve.”
