Salvation Army starts Christmas campaign in Swift Current
The Salvation Army’s annual Christmas campaign in Swift Current is looking quite different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the organization will continue to assist those in need.
The campaign will usually kick off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that takes place about a month before Christmas, but it is not a feasible option in 2020.
“It didn't seem like the best idea this year to have an in-person launch,” Swift Current Salvation Army corps officer Lieut. Renee Mailman told the Prairie Post.
The start of campaign activities was therefore more low-key through online announcements on the Swift Current Salvation Army Facebook page.
The virtual kick-off for the Christmas kettle campaign took place on Nov. 21. While the bells will be ringing at the kettles, there will be some changes.
“Our intention is still to put out our kettles with our volunteers,” she said. “Of course, they'll be wearing masks, we'll have cleaning products available to them and hand sanitizer and all that stuff.”
Details about locations of kettles will be posted online, and that information was not yet available at the time of the interview with Lieut. Mailman a few days before the start of the kettle campaign.
“There have been some changes to the exact locations this year, just in terms of the numbers of people that can be in certain stores at a time,” she explained. “So we will be posting a full list of where all of our kettles are.”
The annual fundraising goal for the Christmas campaign was set at more than $200,000 in recent years, but there is no formal goal this year due to the uncertainty of the pandemic situation.
“Some of our regular donors are now people in need,” she noted. “So we could see less donations, because the people who donate are now unable to. We could see a similar amount we have seen in the past if the people of Swift Current and the surrounding areas donate and just be so supportive and we could see an increase in donations because of that. We really don't have an idea yet of what it's going to look like.”
The Swift Current Salvation Army’s annual Miracle Room with children’s wish tree already opened on Nov. 17. It is located across Safeway inside the Swift Current Mall. The tree is filled with Christmas wishes from children living in and around the city.
“Right now, all the tags that are on the tree are less than half the tags that we have,” she said. “So as the tags are taken, we're going to be continuing to fill up that tree. We're maybe over 200 tags at this point.”
People can help to make the wishes of children come true by taking a tag from the wish tree and buying the toy listed on a wish. The Miracle Room is open Monday to Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., and there will be a volunteer on duty to provide assistance.
“When people take the tag, we need them to give their name and phone number so we know who has what tag,” she explained. “Then when they return the gift, we need the tag returned on the gift so we know what child it goes with.”
The registration for Christmas hampers took place from Oct. 19 to Nov. 20. There were no in-person applications this year. There were options to complete and submit the application online and those without access to a smart phone or computer could register over the phone.
There has been a change to the procedures followed by the food bank during the Christmas campaign and this year’s Christmas hamper will also look different.
“In previous years for Christmas people have received a very large food hamper with food that was meant to replace their regular food hamper, if they were regular clients,” she said. “This year, instead of closing our food bank, our Christmas hamper will exclusively be a Christmas meal and then our food bank will remain open until near the end of December and then reopen again the beginning of January. So if people are in need of food, we are still going to be open for our regular food distribution and for regular appointments, and then the Christmas hamper is just a very special kind of Christmas day meal and a few extras.”
According to Lieut. Mailman there appears to be a growing need in the community, because more people are visiting the food bank.
“We have seen an increase in the number of people coming to get food,” she said. “Our food bank appointments, the number of appointments each day, has increased. So there's definitely a need for food. We've seen a need for winter clothing as well.”
An updated list of items that can be donated to the food bank was posted recently on the Salvation Army Swift Current Food Bank Facebook page.
“We have been able to manage up until this point, though we are starting to see an increase in the need,” she said. “So we are in need of more donations for food. People can drop food off at the Miracle Room, they can drop food off at our food bank, as well as there are some regular locations as well that collect food for us.”
People are requested to call to make arrangements for dropping off food items at the food bank due to the current pandemic situation.
Hutterite colonies in southwest Saskatchewan have for many years been strong supporters of the Swift Current food bank, and it is also happening this year. The Salvation Army hosts an annual Hutterite appreciation day during December during which colony members are invited to a meal. Although the meal will not be taking place this year due to the pandemic, the appreciation day will still take place in a different format.
“We still plan on doing that,” she said. “It will look much, much different this year. We're unable of course to do a sit-down meal, but the Hutterites have been very generous and so we will be doing something for them in December.”
She expressed her appreciation towards the community for its ongoing support for the activities of the Salvation Army in Swift Current.
“We've been incredibly grateful for all of the support that we have received so far this year, and we know that however this year and this Christmas looks, it will be the best that we can do as a community and we trust that it's all going to work out,” she said.
Lieut. Mailman and her husband Bill have only been the corps officers at the Swift Current Salvation Army since August, but they have seen the generosity of the community that makes it possible for the Salvation Army to assist those in need.
“It has been wonderful to see the support and this amazing community that we get to be a part of,” she said. “We're so grateful for that, and so we continue to look forward to see how the people in this community continue to support each other and support us.”