Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Bright red pots were stationed at select locations across Napanee for the first time this season on Friday, marking the start of the Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle campaign.
Kettles are located at Walmart, No Frills and Metro, with the LCBO joining the campaign in December.
Hoping to build on the success of last year, the local Salvation Army has set this year’s fundraising goal at $105,000. This includes the proceeds of the kettle campaign as well as their letter appeal. The funds are used to support the programs and services of The Salvation Army Napanee Community and Family Services department. This includes the food bank, the annual backpack program and winter boot program for school-age kids from low-income families in Lennox & Addington, and the Christmas Assistance program.
So far in 2021, the Napanee Salvation Army food bank has distributed more than 55,000 pounds of food to people in the community who are unable to afford the necessities. Since the start of the pandemic, the Salvation Army has seen more than 500 people access the local food bank service for the first time. The backpack program provided 150 kids with backpacks loaded with school supplies and almost 200 children have received warm winter boots this year.
The Salvation Army’s Christmas Assistance registration is currently underway and will continue until 4 p.m. on Nov. 26. This program is available to low-income families in the Salvation Army’s catchment area who are unable to afford to provide food, and toys (if applicable) for their families. To register, call 613-483-2208 during business hours. Calls will be answered in sequence, so people should call once and leave a message if they don’t get through. All messages will receive a call back from staff. They ask that people have their current income and expense information ready when they call. So far they have registered 125 households, which includes more than 90 children.
Local banks and retailers are hosting Toy Trees, which are decorated with tags that identify a child’s gender and age. People can select a tag and purchase a toy for that child. Donated toys should be placed under the trees, unwrapped, for the Salvation Army to give to a child. Anyone who would like to sponsor a family’s Christmas can call the Salvation Army office at 613-354-7633. They can match the sponsor with an anonymous family of any size that is requested.
The Salvation Army is still in need of volunteers to stand at kettles. People who wish to volunteer can call volunteer coordinator, Tina Steele, at 613-453-7445. The campaign runs Thursday – Saturday in November, and Monday – Saturday starting in December. The funds raised by this community will be used in this community.
Dating back to 1891, the Salvation Army Christmas Kettle can be found in communities across the world. The campaign got its starter when Salvation Army officer Captain Joseph McFee set up a crab pot on a tripod asking for donations from people as they got off the Oakland ferry.
Here in Canada, the first kettle was set up in St. John’s, NFLD back in 1906.