With two days left to pitch in for the Salvation Army kettle donations are down across Canada including in Lloydminster. The national goal is about $22 million with $10.9 million collected as of Tuesday, while in Lloydminster the kettle funds are down about five per cent.
Major Bond Jennings with the local Salvation Army says they will be collecting until Saturday, Dec. 23. He adds they needed more volunteers this year and were also challenged by the tap machines not being fully up to speed.
“According to what my volunteers told me, we probably would have had a good 50 per cent increase if the tap machines were working properly,” says Jennings.
Monetary donations are still fairly consistent, and Jennings says they are getting “a lot of walk-in donations.” He adds because of timing and staffing, corporate letters for donations did not go out to businesses this year.
“If people are out there wanting to make a donation to the Salvation Army, we are open until 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22.”
The Salvation Army will be closed over Christmas with some staff returning on Jan. 3.
Lloydminster groups have been bringing in lots of food donations, says Jennings says they are grateful for all the help even though they may get overwhelmed with packing away the donations when they come in.
“The problem is most times we don’t know that people are coming with donations until they show up – like just happened a few minutes ago. Companies collect among themselves, and they get the opportunity to bring them in.”
Jennings says concerning the Christmas hampers, they have prepared 500 hampers and they have given out 450, so by the first week in January the last 50 will be gone as they usually see about 50-60 families per week.
“The need does not stop. Christmas is the big time when we try to provide people with at least a good Christmas dinner, but there are several days of groceries as well,” says Jennings.
The Salvation Army extends its heartfelt gratitude to Lloydminster and area for all the help and wishes everyone a Merry Christmas.
