GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Blue Bridge lit up red Friday night as the Salvation Army kicked off its Red Kettle campaign— its biggest fundraising drive of the year.
The organization says it needs donations now more than ever.
And now, it has a new way for you to give, where you can tap your credit card, debit card or phone. The Salvation Army hopes with this new method, they'll be able to get more donations compared to last year.
"We're hoping that they'll [people] keep in mind those who are less fortunate. And they'll give out of the abundance that they have to help their neighbors who are in need," Major Tim Meyer said. "So, we've got to keep up with the times. That's one way to do it."
Meyer says the hope is that this new system will help reach the $1.7 million goal.
"I'm thinking about last year, where weather was a definite factor. We were not able to have our red kettles out the last few days. That's when there's traditionally more income. We were really concerned, and justifiably so, because donations were down significantly at the end of the year," he added.
The $1.7 million is the same mark as last year, where the Salvation Army was down by half a million at the end of the campaign. Meyer hopes this new method can help get them to their mark.
"We have approximately 40 kettle sites. And we need help at those kettle sites," Meyer said.
The Salvation Army says the lack of donations last year made running programs like the food pantry hard.
"Part of the reason for that is because the demand has been so high for food that we have increased and gone, we have gone up the number of days of food for families," Meyer explained.
As the Salvation Army dealt with lower donations— more people came in. Meyer says there were big jumps in the number of adults and kids served in the last year.
From October of last year to this year, there was a 220% increase in the number of children served. The Salvation Army will continue meeting the need for now, but Meyer and other staff question how much longer they can keep up.
"We're just praying that God will help people open their pocketbooks. And they'll realize that the Salvation Army has been here 140 years. We continue to serve the neediest people in the Grand Rapids area," Meyer said.
You can also donate here.
