Salvation Army Kettle. (Photo by Matt Weverink)Salvation Army Kettle. (Photo by Matt Weverink)
Chatham

Red kettles to head out in Chatham-Kent soon

The Salvation Army of Chatham-Kent needs your help this Christmas.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, it was unable to send out its annual Christmas appeal letter.

"But we still need your help to reach our goal of $560,000," said Lieutenant Jamie Anstey. "As some may or may not know, this money is used to operate our programs throughout the year, such as our Christmas assistance toys and gift cards, and also our food bank."

Last year, they fell about $49,000 short of their $550,000 fundraising goal. The red kettles will be heading out to stores in Chatham-Kent later this week.

"Our kettles for Chatham will be going out on Thursday, November the 13th, and Wallaceburg will be Thursday, November the 20th," said Anstey, who added that they're looking for volunteers to stand by the red kettles.

"Our kettle shifts for volunteers are two hours. So our kettles are out from 10 a.m. till 8 p.m., and if they want more information, our website is www.cksalvationarmy.org," said Anstey.

Despite the current economic conditions, Anstey said it's hard to anticipate just how many people will apply for help this Christmas.

"Each year varies. We started registration for assistance this Tuesday past, and we will be doing that to the end of November. So as we go along, we'll have a better number, but we know that the need is gets greater and greater, unfortunately, every year."

Donations can also be dropped off at any Salvation Army location in Chatham, Wallaceburg, or Ridgetown, or online at www.cksalvationarmy.org.

Read More Local Stories