The Salvation Army has launched its Christmas Kettle Campaign, with a fundraising goal of $130,000 for Mission and Abbotsford.
The campaign is the largest fundraiser of the year for the organization. It began Monday in Abbotsford, and will start on Monday, Dec. 2 in Mission.
There will be a total of five kettles in Mission and 18 in Abbotsford.
Now in its 129th year, the annual fundraiser seeks donations from the public to assist millions of people across Canada living in poverty.
With one in seven Canadians struggling to make ends meet, the Salvation Army relies on this fundraising campaign to feed, clothe, shelter and empower those in need.
The Christmas Kettle Campaign enables local Salvation Army units to provide practical assistance to individuals and families in 400 communities across Canada.
Contributions also allow the agency to continue operating programs such as substance-abuse recovery, housing supports, job and skills training, and budgeting and education classes.
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Every donation to a Christmas kettle remains in the community in which it is given.
Last year, the Salvation Army helped over 1.6 million people, providing 3.4 million free meals, assisting 261,000 with Christmas food hampers and toys and over 1.1 million with food, clothing or practical help.
“We believe that everyone needs an army and that people need to know they are not alone in their struggles,” say Capts. Ruth and Ian Gillingham of the Salvation Army in Abbotsford and Mission.
“For more than 135 years, and through the generosity of our donors and volunteers, the Army has restored hope and helped transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of Canadians.”
Hosted at more than 2,000 locations across Canada, the annual Christmas Kettle Campaign is possible thanks to the thousands of kettle workers who volunteer their time.
In addition to accepting donations of cash or cheques, many kettle locations will also enable donors to give with their debit or credit cards through tap-and-go technology.
In addition, FilltheKettle.com – a Salvation Army mobile site – will enable donors to give through their mobile devices or computers.
Users of FilltheKettle.com can also host their own online kettle and encourage their friends, family, neighbours and co-workers to donate to the Salvation Army.
Donations to the 2019 Christmas campaign can also be made in person or via mail to the Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope, 34081 Gladys Ave., Abbotsford, BC V2S 2E8; at SalvationArmy.ca; or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769).