GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Every holiday season, you can expect to hear the ringing bells of the Salvation Army as you head into the store. The Red Kettle Christmas Campaign is an easy way for people to donate as they shop—but this year, the Kent County Salvation Army said donations are down.
The organization is hoping to raise $1.4 million. This is crucial, as officials say the community's need has increased over the past year.
However, they have only hit about 35% of their goal.
Kent County Development Director Cathy Blackburn said about 75% of the Salvation Army's donations come in around the holidays through the Red Kettle Christmas Campaign. But the Salvation Army counts on those donations to provide year-round support.
"We have a five-day-a-week food pantry. We have substance abuse programs where we help treat people. We help with housing assistance and utility assistance. We do disaster relief. We have a senior program," she said.
Part of the issue, Blackburn believes, is that fewer people are volunteering to ring the bell next to the red kettles. She said having someone there can inspire people to give and spark conversations about the Salvation Army.
Donations may also be down because fewer people carry cash, Blackburn said. The Salvation Army is working to offset that by providing QR codes at the red kettles and taking donations online. They also accept checks and donations by mail.
Blackburn said she's rung the bell herself several times, and that the experience can be rewarding.
"Some people stop and tell you stories about how maybe the Salvation Army helped their family years ago, which is why they still support the Salvation Army today," she said. "So you learn, you learn a lot about about people's family history and it's just a beautiful thing to learn, because the Salvation Army has been here in Grand Rapids for 141 years."
To help the Salvation Army in their efforts, a group of anonymous donors from the community have offered to match donations dollar-for-dollar up to $250,000. That opportunity lasts through New Year's Eve.
"You can help children twice as much by giving, knowing that there are donors out there that are going to do that match," Blackburn said. "So it wasn't a surprise that we would have a very generous community, and we're really thankful that they're willing to do that."
Red kettles can be found in front of many stores in West Michigan, except for on Sundays.
Donate to the Salvation Army or sign up to volunteer here.
