Salvation Army starts kettle campaign
Nov. 12—Dozens of kids were part of a Thursday gathering at the Salvation Army Nancy Moore Thurmond Boys and Girls Club, with emphasis on marking a major moment in the holiday season.
The "kettle kickoff," celebrating the start of the Salvation Army's annual fundraising campaign in November and December, included a Santa visit and an announcement of $94,000 as the local goal for donations. Local bell-ringing locations include Kroger, Food Lion, Big Lots, Walmart and Hobby Lobby.
Colen Lindell, the local organization's board chairman, said donations will help support such causes as scholarships for helping kids attend after-school programs and summer camps, as well as the homeless shelter, which houses 10 women, 16 men and four families on a daily basis.
He noted that Aiken County has about 1,500 homeless individuals, of whom at least 30 are veterans. Aiken County's public school system, he said, has 382 homeless students, and the local Salvation Army's soup kitchen (open Monday through Friday) serves up to 250 meals per day and about 28,000 per year.
Another major seasonal effort is the Christmas assistance program, which provides toys for local families in need. The sign-up site to receive toys is 322 Gayle Ave., and the deadline is Nov. 16.
Among the "kettle sponsors" (offering major support for the annual initiative) this year are Georgia-Lina Precast, Aiken Electric Cooperative, George Funeral Home and Cremation Center, Durban-Laird, Murphy Auto Group and the Salvation Army's local advisory board.
Mayor Rick Osbon, at Thursday's event, made the "first drop," depositing some cash into a kettle, to begin the process, helping continue a tradition that dates back to 1891 in San Francisco, when a Salvation Army captain "resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner for the destitute and poverty-stricken" and sought a way to bankroll the effort.
Within six years, the idea had spread from coast to coast, reaching the Boston area. The modern-day outreach helps more than 4.5 million people during the Thanksgiving and Christmas time periods.
The program is "such an important program for the Salvation Army," Lindell wrote. "All the money raised stays in our community to help meet the needs we face with homelessness, providing assistance, and soup kitchens. Many wonderful individuals and organizations volunteer to ring the bell. This is a time of year for everyone who has been blessed to give back. We are excited about this year's goals."
The Aiken-based organization serves clients in Aiken, Allendale, Barnwell and Edgefield counties. Details are available at 803-641-4141 and via aikensc@uss.salvationarmy.org.
