Help, please
Kettle campaign still needs assistance
With only a few days left to raise funds and the coffers down due to time lost to stormy weather, the Kentville Salvation Army is hoping Valley volunteers and generosity come shining through.
Lieut. Joshua Downer said on Dec. 19 that they lost out on two fundraising days for the Christmas kettle campaign in the past week because of snowstorms. They didn’t want to have volunteers out for safety reasons. This means they lost out on an estimated $6,000 to $7,000 in donations.
With only five full days left as of Dec. 19, Downer said they’re hoping more people will volunteer their time to stand with kettles and that individuals and businesses will keep giving. He said a goal is just a goal but the more money they raise, the more help they can provide at Christmas and throughout the year.
“As of Friday the 16th, we were at $96,500,” Downer said. “Of course, our goal is $145,000.”
There’s no question the level of need in the community is on the rise. Last year in the Kentville and New Minas area, the Salvation Army provided toys to 391 children. This year, there are 493 in need of assistance so far and requests keep coming in.
“I actually got an email last night from a single mom who tried really hard not to ask for help and wanted to make it through but she said she’s in debt and she just wants to have a Christmas for her two kids,” Downer said.
Volunteers set up a ‘toy store’ at the Salvation Army Church in Kentville on Dec. 19 for parents in need. Downer said he’s done this before in Cape Breton and Ontario and tried it in Kentville for the first time last year. It worked well so they decided to do it again. It affords dignity to parents.
“On Christmas morning, the parent or guardian gets to look at the smile and know that they picked out the toy for their child,” Downer said.
He said it makes it easier on volunteers as well, who have struggled in the past determining what the most appropriate toy for a given child would be.
Parents in need of assistance get to pick out a primary toy, a secondary gift and a stocking stuffer. There were more than 500 of each in the ‘toy store.’
Downer said there are people coming in with toys and toiletries to donate every day. Many of the toys were gathered through the Christmas Angel Tree at the County Fair Mall and Kentville Nissan held a toy drive. Members of the Pirate Off-Road Nation Club held a toy drive in memory of the late Jacob Stern.
Stern bravely battled rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of mus- cular cancer. He passed away in October. Downer said it was “incredible” that the off-road club filled a 15 cubic meter space in a Chevrolet Tahoe with presents. They used $460 in cash donations to buy more. The Salvation Army in Kentville and Middleton will distribute the toys.
“We’re grateful to them,” Downer said, pointing out that many children will have “a smile and hope” on Christmas morning because of Stern.