Airdate: November 16, 2022
Many may be familiar with the Salvation Army Red Kettle seen outside of grocery and department stores but may not know what happens when they put change into one of those kettles.
Salvation Army Red Kettle donations directly go to a food pantry in Dauphin County, mentoring services for youth and adults, rental assistance services, nutrition education, providing free Bibles, after-school programs and employment support services.
Jenny Gallagher-Blom, Director of Programs and Operations for The Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region, said donations go directly into the community not just to provide people in need with assistance during Christmas time but all year round.
She said, they served about 37,000 individuals with the money they raised this year.
“With inflation, we are seeing more and more individuals needing assistance and it is becoming more difficult to meet all of those pressing needs with costs rising daily, with the cost of fuel groceries,” Gallagher-Blom said. “Our food pantry this past year provided over 800,000 meals, that’s up by over 100,000 meals from last year and we anticipate that rising for our families and those that we’re serving.”
Toni Mark, Resource Development Director for The Salvation Army Harrisburg, said they hope to raise about $200,000 this year and exceed their 2021 donation goal, which was between $150,ooo and $180,000.
“Folks don’t realize, sometimes, the impact of all of us coming together with just the spare change in a vehicle, or in your pocket or whatever you have left over after after your own trip. It truly does add up with these multiple locations, multiple days,” Gallagher-Blom said. “So, you know, we talk about these little ways we can all contribute to big problems and that is a very small way we can all come together to have a big impact.”
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