Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Drive starts Friday
The Salvation Army of Texarkana officially kicks off its Red Kettle Drive on Friday.
Bell ringers will be outside local businesses, spreading cheer and hoping that shoppers will be generous enough to leave something in the Red Kettle.
The money raised through the Red Kettle Drive is used for the Salvation Army’s programming all year long and the money stays local.
“Public contributions to the Red Kettle Campaign enable The Salvation Army to deliver emergency assistance and support to individuals and families who come to us in crisis, often at the very worst times of their life” said Major Russell Czajkowski, commanding officer of the Salvation Army in Texarkana.
“You’ll see our red kettles and bell ringers stationed outside your favorite stores and local businesses Monday through Saturday from mid-November until Christmas Eve. With more individuals and families coming to us for help than ever before, please don’t forget to give to the Salvation Army red kettles this season,” Czajkowski said.
The Salvation Army serves the community in a variety of ways, including serving a community meal each night, providing shelter for homeless families, grocery boxes for individuals and families in need, and the Boys & Girls Club.
In 2018, the Red Kettle Campaign raised $160,000.
Volunteers are crucial to the campaign and bell ringers are always needed.
About 80 % of the Salvation Army’s funds are raised in November and December, Czajkowski said.
Anyone interested in being a bell ringer for the Red Kettle Drive can visit www.registertoring.com and select the location, day and time they would like to ring. Student groups and organizations who need volunteer hours for college credit are always welcome along with civic groups.
The first sighting of a Salvation Army kettle was in 1891, when a young Salvation Army Captain in San Francisco was looking for a way to fund a community Christmas dinner for the area’s poor. He remembered seeing a large pot on the dock in Liverpool England, where people passing by could drop charitable donations. He found a large red pot and put it where anyone going to and from the ferryboats could see it.
For more information about the Salvation Army of Texarkana, call 870-774-2701.