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The Salvation Army in Grande Prairie is asking for help in meeting its goal of raising $ 575,000 for its Christmas Kettle Campaign.
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The Christmas Kettle campaign is extremely important to the Salvation Army, because the proceeds from this annual campaign are used to fund all of the charity’s operations throughout the year.
“We’re just over $ 200,000, so we’re actually less than halfway to our goal with two weeks left,” said Captain Peter Kim, executive director of the Salvation Army in Grande Prairie.
The campaign has been running since November and so far donations have been slow compared to previous years. Last year, the same campaign raised more than $ 600,000 to help those in need in Grande Prairie.
The Salvation Army has been in the community since 1919, and Kim says that over the years they have made a huge impact helping those in need.
“We have helped in many ways, especially with our food bank,” Kim said, “the food bank is where we have been able to help families who are in difficult situations.”
In addition to the food bank, the Salvation Army also has a number of initiatives such as its community restaurant that feeds those in need, its Pathway of Hope Campaign that helps families become self-reliant, and emergency aid for victims of natural disasters.
According to Kim, all of these initiatives are funded through their annual boiler drive, so the impact of this funding on the community is immense.
“We’ve done all of this with the support of the community, we’ve done it with the kettles, and we’ve done it with many, many volunteers,” Kim said.
Kim also says they have experienced a double whammy this year, as lower donations combined with increased need in the community may affect resources for 2022.
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“Thanks to COVID, we have seen a greater number of families use the food bank. Last year, we saw 1,355 new families and new households access the food bank, ”Kim said.
“We have already passed 700 loan applications by Christmas this year, so we need the support of our community,” Kim said.
Kim says there are a multitude of ways people can donate. Donors can mail checks, donate on the Salvation Army website, text to donate, and now people can even click to donate.
“We are grateful for all the technology that we have available for people to find easier ways to donate and ways to support the good work of the Salvation Army,” said Kim.
The Salvation Army also desperately needs volunteers to fill shifts for the Christmas Kettle Campaign. They are looking for people over the age of 18 and who have proof of complete vaccination against COVID-19.
“We are doing that to minimize risk and increase the safety of our volunteers, because we believe our volunteers are so valuable and amazing,” Kim said.
This year, the charity already had to close a kettle location in Grande Prairie due to a lack of volunteers.
“We are desperate for volunteers, so if people can help us, we would be grateful,” Kim said.
Kim says if you can volunteer, you can call Lynn at (708) 538-2848.
Reference-www.dailyheraldtribune.com