Red Kettle Campaign donations lagging
The familiar ding-a-ling heard as shoppers approach stores to scoop up gifts for family and friends can be heard at select retailers in the county, but donations in the accompanying red kettles are not as plentiful this year.
Major Darlene Means of the Butler Salvation Army said eight kettles are placed outside store doors this year in Butler, Butler Township and Cranberry Township.
The 2022 goal is $90,000, but the pace of cash in the kettles is not keeping pace with completing that goal, she said.
“It’s probably the economy,” Means said. “With the price of gasoline and utilities and food prices going up, that’s the only thing we can think of.”
Last year, the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign raised $85,000.
In 2020, when many retailers were closed, Means was astonished to find the campaign had raised $102,000.
“Maybe people weren’t going anywhere, so they had a little extra money,” she said. “Maybe people knew there would be a need because of people losing their jobs.”
There also are two fewer kettles this year, as Means was unable to reach the owner of the Clearview Mall, and Rural King did not participate.
Means hopes everyone is able to drop what they can into the red kettles, and people who don’t carry cash will scan the QR code on the sign at the kettles to donate.
“Please donate, because we are down some,” she said. “I thank the ones who have participated so far, and we just hope we can reach our goal.”
Money raised during the Red Kettle Campaign, Means said, goes toward food given to families at Christmas, feeding programs, food pantry stock, and even overhead costs at the Salvation Army facility in Butler.
Means was happy to announce that all the tags from the Salvation Army Angel Trees have been removed by benevolent shoppers at Boscov’s and the Butler Township Walmart.
The tags contain the presents requested by local children aged 12 and younger whose parents cannot afford to provide them a Christmas, she said.
The gifts purchased by those who plucked a tag from one of the Angel Trees are provided to 300 local children whose families preregistered for the toys.
Still, Means said she receives calls each year after the deadline from families experiencing an emergency situation.
Means does not leave those families out.
“We provide assistance all the way up to Christmas Eve if someone calls with an emergency like a fire or domestic violence situation,” Means said.
She said four families called Monday and Tuesday asking for help with gifts.
Means said she will try to get toys for the families once she ensures everyone who registered gets their three toys per child.
“If anyone wants to buy toys and drop them off at the Salvation Army, we always have somebody calling us and needing assistance,” she said.
