Snow is on the ground, and the Salvation Army is getting ready to roll out the Christmas Kettles and raise money for people in need. Major Linda Mailman says that this year will see some changes and new initiatives to help get people excited about the effort.
A new initiative this year is the Adopt a Kettle program. The idea is a business, service club or even just a family could get together and bring everyone on board to handle a kettle for a day. She says the idea is to get people together to work the kettles, and even generate a bit of rivalry between different businesses to see who can raise the most on the kettle they adopt. Each kettle will have a sign showing who is manning for the day.
Mailman says that there has already been a positive response from many groups with the new initiatives, and she notes that one church has already decided to kick off the campaign by taking over all of the kettles on the first day of the campaign, November 30.
For those who are unable to adopt a kettle for the day, Mailman says that two hour shifts are still available, and that manning a kettle has benefits beyond just raising money for a worthy cause.
"Some people have called us and said 'It's so good, I want to go on the kettle because I meet all the people I haven't seen since last year,'" Mailman says.
The four different kettles in the city, in the Parkland Mall, SuperStore, Wal Mart or the Liquor Store. All those interested in getting involved, whether adopting a kettle for a day or just one shift, can call Gwen at 306-744-2442, or 306-744-3000 or by email at [email protected].
This year's goal for the kettle campaign is $88,000. The funds raised from the Christmas Kettles go to the various programs the Salvation Army is involved in throughout the year, including the Food Bank. Mailman estimates that 8-10 families visit the Food Bank a day, and she says for a city this size the amount of use is high.
One example of a program run by the Salvation Army is the Christmas assistance program, which helps families fund a quality Christmas dinner and gives toys to children in need. Mailman says this year's Christmas campaign will work differently, going with a voucher system rather than distributing a food hamper. She explains that the change has been inspired by increases in food allergies and different dietary needs.
"There are so many dietary needs. I've got a son who is a celiac, and I'm diabetic, and that's just our family alone. If we put in something with flour, anyone's who celiac's not going to be able to eat it," Mailman says.
She notes that there will still be stipulations on it, the vouchers will be non-transferable, and will only be used for grocery products. Also, children under 12 will receive a toy.
The vouchers will be targeted towards the size of the family, and are being put together in association with the Co-op. People in need of Christmas assistance can get an application at the Food Bank, located in the Salvation Army Thrift Store on Betts Ave, and must be completed by December 1. The voucher will need to be used before Christmas, since they are there for Christmas dinner. Mailman says it can be a real boost to a family.
"We had a gentleman last year who we gave one to last year who called back... He said "I want to thank you, I was able to get everything I needed to have Christmas dinner for my daughter and I." For him, it was really special, because there was no telling what they would have had otherwise," Mailman says.
