Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign in Albany currently facing shortfall

ALBANY — In the final weeks of the Red Kettle fundraising campaign conducted each year by the Salvation Army, the numbers are looking lower than officials would like.

Meeting the campaign’s goal before the campaign concludes this year could go toward helping those in the Albany area who are in need.

“The campaign, thus far, has not been as good (as last year),” Lt. James Sullivan, corps officer for the Salvation Army office in Albany, said.

Sullivan said last year’s goal was $70,000, and collections brought in by bell ringers came out to $68,000. This year, the goal is $75,000, and $19,000 had been collected as of Wednesday.

The campaign began on Nov. 16, and will run until Dec. 24, so there is time to get caught up. Sullivan said the factor of time may contribute to the lower numbers.

At this time last year, the collections were at $26,000 — which means the majority of the $68,000 that came in was donated in the last two weeks before the holiday.

“The closer we get to Christmas, the more people give,” he said.

Sullivan said there are two bell-ringer locations, the Kmart on Dawson Road and Harveys Supermarket on U.S. Highway 19, that have closed since last year. Hurricane Michael is also a likely factor.

“Everyone is still in disaster mode,” he said, referring to the aftermath of the Oct. 10 storm. “Even in the midst of storms, people are giving.”

Even the several inches of rain that fell over the weekend in the Albany area had an impact. Sullivan said about $2,600 was lost as a result of that period of inclement weather.

Sullivan said the bell ringers will be out until 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve catching last-minute shoppers, and that officials still have an eye toward the campaign goal.

“We are praying on it,” he said. “Anything is a blessing. We would like to reach our goal.”

He said 82 percent of every dollar stays within the Albany area community to fund the Salvation Army’s programs — including food, shelter and laundry services — as well as overhead costs.

The shortfall from the Red Kettle campaign has to be made up for by regular donors from the community. The bigger the shortfall, the more these donors are relied upon.

“It helps sustain us through the year,” Sullivan said. “We have donors that give monthly and yearly, but the meat of it comes from the kettles.

“We stretch the money as much as we can.”

There has not been as much of shortage of people willing to join together and ring bells. Sullivan said children, church groups and civic clubs have come forward to volunteer.

Those who are on a payroll to ring the bell are paid $8 an hour, which comes from donations the organization receives. The volunteers are paid nothing.

“When we get volunteers, that helps us stretch it out,” Sullivan said. “The more volunteers we get the more we save.

“Our volunteer response has had a 25 percent increase (from last year).”

For more information, visit https://salvationarmygeorgia.org/albany/. Sullivan said those who wish to make a donation to the Red Kettle campaign by check should make the check out to “Salvation Army” and write “kettle” in the memo line.

Jennifer Parks