The Salvation Army in Butler County is campaigning to financially support its food kitchen.

The charity today is kicking off its Feeding Families Campaign with the goal of raising $50,000 for the kitchen at its facility on West Cunningham Street.

Maj. Irene Thibault, the commanding officer at the Salvation Army in Butler, said the campaign is needed due to financial cuts from the United Way of Butler County.

“The United Way cut our funding completely,” Thibault said. “So we need to raise those funds through our own campaign.”

The Salvation Army was to receive $13,000 from the United Way this year for the food kitchen, the same amount as last year. But the United Way cut funding to a number of its partner agencies after suffering a $180,000 shortfall in its own $1.6 million campaign this past year.

Leslie Osche, executive director for the United Way, said the Salvation Army was one of a handful of partners that had all of its funding cut.

“This was an unusual year for us,” Osche said. “We had to make cuts. It’s not something we ever want to do.”

Osche said the United Way used certain criteria to determine where to designate money, including reviews from financial and community investment panels, outcome-based objectives, and consideration of joint efforts of the partnering agencies.

Thibault said the Salvation Army doesn’t meet the outcome-based objectives of the United Way.

“Our service serves an immediate need,” she said, adding the food kitchen can’t guarantee individuals won’t continue to need the charity in the future. “It’s difficult for us to measure success based on their restructured outcome objectives.”

The food kitchen serves about 750 lunches each week. It is open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Salvation Army also has broken its ties with the United Way in Butler County because of the cuts.

Osche said she received a letter Tuesday night telling her of the disaffiliation.

“It’s unfortunate,” she said. “But we wish them well.”

The United Way can no longer use the Salvation Army name on its campaign materials.

Osche said the United Way previously told all partner agencies that had funding cut that it hopes to restore funding in future years.

But Osche said it still is possible for people donating through the United Way to support the Salvation Army.

“If folks designate donations to the Salvation Army, we will still honor those designations,” she said.

Meanwhile the Salvation Army will look to its own campaign to support the kitchen, which has a $100,000 annual budget.

Thibault said about 80 percent of the money goes to food. The kitchen has one paid chef and fewer than 10 volunteers.

Donna Fencik, the Western Pennsylvania director of fundraising for the Salvation Army, said the $50,000 campaign goal is to make up for years of declining funds from the United Way.

The Salvation Army in Butler used to receive more than $70,000 per year from the United Way. It peaked at $79,000 in contributions in 1996.

“That number has significantly dwindled over the years,” Fencik said.

The campaign has been jump-started with a $10,000 donation from Dick Yoder of Butler. Yoder is a retired car dealer who is a board member for the charity.

“As a community, we need to do what we can to support the Salvation Army, who is always there for those in need in our own backyards,” Yoder said in a statement.

“That’s why I am proud to give the lead gift for the Feeding Families Campaign, and I urge everyone who can to join me in supporting this important effort.”

The Salvation Army will be working with businesses to set up a workplace giving program, similar to the United Way’s program.

Thibault said the program would allow employees of participating companies to donate a percentage of their income to the charity.

She said there is a great need for the kitchen in Butler. “It’s the largest soup kitchen in the county,” she said. “We’re open five days per week.”

Thibault said she hopes the campaign, which she expects to last about six weeks, will be a success.

“I think the community of Butler is a caring community,” she said. “People care about the less fortunate.”

Thibault expects the campaign to become an annual feature until other means of support are found.

She said the need for funding is important as the winter approaches. She said the cold weather means families must devote more money to utility bills, so a free warm meal is important.

“There is always a need for these meals,” Thibault said.

Donations can be made to the Salvation Army at www.wpa.salvationarmy.org or by mailing a check payable to the Salvation Army to 313 W. Cunningham St., P.O. Box 389, Butler, PA 16003.