By Sheldon Spackman

Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign in need of volunteers

Nov 22, 2018 | 2:00 PM

An annual event that helps local families-in-need launched at Bower Place on Thursday.

It was the kick-off event to the Salvation Army Red Deer’s Christmas Kettle Campaign which aims to raise $240,000 this year, up from the $231,600 raised during the 2017 campaign.

The event featured the first official donation to the campaign from Red Deer City councilor Tanya Handley, along with the awarding of placques for both the Kiwanis Club of Red Deer and Rotary Clubs of Red Deer, acknowledging 40 years of support to the campaign from both organizations.

According to the Salvation Army’s Major Larry Bridger, all the money raised stays locally.

“That’s basically the money that we get through the actual kettles, it doesn’t include our walk-in donations or people that mail to our office,” he explains. “It is very vital because we use a lot of funds obviously to help families year-round, it’s not just Christmas time but year-round. Without the funds at Christmas time, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish what we do.”

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Bridger says the impact of the Christmas Kettle Campaign to the community is significant.

“We get people that come in for Christmas assistance and some of them are just overwhelmed,” he exclaims. “Some are applying for the very first time because they just had a bad year or they just lost a job and things are pretty tight. We see people that are in tears because of the help that they’ve been able to get that we were able to provide.”

The Salvation Army Red Deer offers numerous programs and services for the community, including many supported by volunteers such as the Christmas Adopt-A-Family program, emergency assistance, School Weekend Meal program, New Bed program, seniors luncheons, Daily Bread Distribution, summer camps, grocery, diaper, household basics and clothing assistance.

Bridger says volunteers are also needed for the Kettle Campaign.

“Our Kettle Campaign is our biggest need for volunteers,” states Bridger. “We need about 450 volunteers each year for our Kettle Campaign to stand at kettles, even if it’s a two hour shift, it helps us. We’ve got 14 hundred shifts throughout the campaign this year and closer to Christmas we often struggle because people go on holidays.”

Bridger adds there are 11 kettle locations this year, including a new one at Costco in Gasoline Alley. Others are located at Parkland Mall, Bower Place, Deer Park Co-Op, Save On Foods East Hill, Walmart North, Walmart South, Real Canadian Superstore, New-Timberlands Co-Op and Canadian Tire South.

Two-hour kettle shifts run between 11:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. with late day shifts often most in need of volunteers.

To donate to the campaign online, visit Fillthekettle.com.

Other Salvation Army Red Deer events this holiday season include the continuation of the Adopt-A-Family program, the Annual Santa Shuffle & Elf Walk December 1 and Annual Christmas Day Dinner December 25.

The Salvation Army Red Deer Christmas Kettle Campaign runs from November 15 – December 22.