By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
This holiday season, ignoring the Salvation Army’s bell ringers is not an option.
The Salvation of Army of Salisbury now has three locations where people can go cashless.
The nonprofit organization is launching its annual Red Kettle Campaign throughout Rowan County on Friday in an effort to raise $70,000 to sustain its services.
Red kettles at Kmart, Walmart and Harris Teeter will be outfitted with credit/debit card machines to make donating easier.
Through Dec. 24, bell ringers will collect donations at more than a dozen red kettles at retailers such as Walmart, Kmart, Harris Teeter, JCPenney and Magic Mart, among others.
The cashless kettles provide donors a secure and easy way to give to the Salvation Army. Online donations are also accepted via the Salvation Army of Rowan County’s Facebook page.
A ceremony to kick off the campaign will take place at 6 p.m. Friday at Walmart, 323 S. Arlington St. The Brass Ensemble from Livingstone College will perform.
This year’s campaign theme, “The Time Is Now,” draws attention to the Salvation Army’s urgent need for the public’s support in the wake of the country’s continuing economic crisis ó and the growing numbers of families coming to the Salvation Army for help, said Capt. Jason Smith, corps officer for the Salvation Army of Salisbury.
Many families are requesting assistance for the first time, he added.
“As a result of the prolonged downturn in our economy, demand for the Salvation Army’s services has risen nearly 60 percent in the last year,” Smith said. “Donating to the Salvation Army is one of the best ways to help our neighbors in need, as 83 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to fund programs that change lives.”
The Salvation Army is in need of volunteers to ring bells at all of its locations. Each hour a volunteer rings the bell saves the organization $15, since many of the ringers are paid workers.
Local retailers and businesses are also sponsoring the Salvation Army Angel Tree. The Salvation Army will provide Christmas gifts for each of its Angels. This year the trees will be decorated with more than 1,200 angel tags.
Also, each family that signed up for Christmas assistance will receive a food basket, which will include everything for their Christmas dinner. Rowan County Angels can be adopted through virtual Angel Trees that are sponsored by both JCPenney and Fox Charlotte.
More than 25,000 Salvation Army volunteers go out across the country to ring bells and solicit spare change donations to the red kettles from holiday shoppers, Smith said.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church.
If you are interested in volunteering or donating, contact the Salvation Army office at 704-636-6491 or drop donations off at 620 Bringle Ferry Road.
Monetary donations and Angel adoptions can also be made at www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/salisbury.