Salvation Army behind on donations, asks for help
Christmas is over and the familiar red kettles are no longer outside stores, but the Salvation Army is still trying to finish its annual campaign on a high note,
A drop in donations is making that difficult, officials said.
The Chicago area goal for the Red Kettle campaign is $13 million, but with two weeks left before the campaign wraps up at the end of January, Salvation Army officials said they are still below $12 million, and $600,000 behind this point last year.
Money from the Red Kettle campaign pays for programming throughout the year — helping the homeless, providing food, senior citizens’ activities, as well as staff and overhead costs.
“Without those funds we would have to look at cutting back on programs, laying off staff or making more difficult decisions,” said Lt. Col. Ralph Bukiewicz, the metropolitan divisional commander.
Last year there were a few large, one-time donors that helped the service organization reach its goal, he said.
“But the need continues to increase,” Bukiewicz said.
During the Christmas season, Salvation Army gave out 17,000 food baskets, 37,000 items of clothing and more than 80,000 toys to Chicago area residents. In addition to those helped at Christmas, the Salvation Army served more than 144,000 people in need around Chicago and the suburbs last year, officials said.
Bukiewicz added that as other service organizations have cut back or closed, they have been referring people to the Salvation Army.
“Its a two-edged challenge, the need is greater and there are fewer and fewer resources,” he said, adding that programs have seen anywhere from a 10 percent to 200 percent increase over the past few years with the economy in decline.
Bukiewicz asked people to donate online at salarmychicago.org, call (800) SAL-ARMY or send a check to 5040 N. Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL 60630.
“Now more than ever, those who were at one time donors are turning to us for help, so donating is absolutely critical,” Bukiewicz said. “It’s a reinvestment into the community.”