CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign isn’t in the black just yet. All across the country donations are down. The same goes for the Charleston area and most of West Virginia.
Major Darrell Kingsbury, who oversees the Salvation Army in Kanawha, Putnam, Roane and Clay counties, said they’re short of their $250,000 goal.
“At this point, we’re right at $40,000 behind,” Kingsbury said Monday. “But we’ve had an increase in the request for assistance this year, we’re just running behind.”
It’s not that folks aren’t being generous. This year the Salvation Army is lacking one very important piece of their kettle campaign — volunteers.
“If you haven’t volunteered, call us up. We have a lot of spots left,” according to Kingsbury.
He said the more ringers they have out in the community, the more money they can collect for the thousands of people they help each Christmas season. From toys to food the Salvation Army provides what families can’t afford.
“You look at it and say, ‘Oh wow! How are we going to meet that need?’ We are the Christmas people! People say to us, ‘Hey, if anybody can do it, the Salvation Army can do it!'”
Kingsbury said they’re not about to let down the families that look to them for assistance.
With just a week before Christmas they’re part way there according to Kingsbury.
“We’ve already made sure that we have the toys and the food and all those things so that everything is taken care of. Now we’ve got to get the money to take care of it.”
If you would like to volunteer contact your local Salvation Army to find out how you can ring the bells.