Salvation Army kettles not being filled like previous years
Local Salvation Army volunteers are hoping to see more in their “Christmas kettles.”
But the long-serving agency is continuing to help people in need, in the hope donations will improve in days to come.
“We’re down about $20,000,” reports Capt. Ben Lippers, pastor and administrator for the organization’s many services.
“But we have faith. Lethbridge has always been a very giving community.”
Donations taken to the volunteer-staffed “kettles” go directly to the Army’s family services division, he explains. It operates year-round, but responds to a heightened number of needs at this time of year.
Many who come for help are among Lethbridge’s many “working poor” families.
“They’re living cheque to cheque,” often with both parents working for low-paying employers. “And then their car breaks down.” That leaves little cash for Christmas — or even to pay the rent.
“They don’t have the resources to withstand that.”
And rents have been going up, Lipper points out.
“That’s become very challenging for the working poor,” let alone people living on assistance.
But with funds from kettle donations in shopping malls and elsewhere, he says the Salvation Army is able to cover a rent cheque or help with those repairs.
It’s been doing that in Lethbridge since 1898, he adds. And all the donations made here, stay here.
The church-based organization continues to provide many other services, funded in other ways. The self-supporting thrift store accepts donated clothing, furniture, household effects and other serviceable items — and puts them in the hands of Lethbridge-area people who need them.
The store also provides basics like couches, coffee tables and beds to the no-charge “Just Like Home” furniture bank, where a number of Lethbridge social agencies bring clients once they’ve found a place to live.
There’s also a clothes bank, Lipper notes, where articles are laundered before they’re offered, and a room stocked with donated dishes, cooking utensils and small appliances — all tested to make sure they work.
“We want to protect people’s dignity,” so those who need help visit individually.
For people with mobility issues, he says the “Sallyanne Boutique” travels to seniors’ lodges to provide an opportunity to choose something appropriate.
Before Christmas, as always, the Salvation Army works with local food banks to provide hampers to families with little to spare for a special meal. And there’s also the Christmas toy campaign, in collaboration with other social services.
“We look at what a need is, and try to fill it.”
But Lethbridge has many helping agencies, Lipper stresses. His small staff and volunteers work to connect people who come to see them with those agencies that focus on their needs.
The Salvation Army also has volunteers ready to respond to an emergency, he says.
A modern, mobile kitchen — one of six in Alberta — is based in Lethbridge, along with emergency-trained volunteers. Like many Salvation Army services, it’s supported by the annual Red Shield Appeal.
“I spent two weeks in Kamloops this summer,” Lipper says, when his emergency services truck was sent to feed the men and women fighting wildfires in the area.
It’s also helped respond to emergencies in High River and Fort McMurray. Meanwhile, he says the truck and crew take part in scheduled events like Project Connect and Ready Set Go.
And on Fridays, he says, you’ll see it helping the Streets Alive organization as it brings food to hungry and homeless people downtown.
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