Community comes through for those in need

Editor:

Once again the Havre community and surrounding area has come through to help those in need.

The Salvation Army's Christmas Assistance Program and Red Kettle Campaign were great successes this year.

Much thanks goes to the community for participating in the Christmas Angel Tree program and Adopt-a-Family program. Many low-income/needy families were helped because of your generosity. Many of the families stated that they couldn't believe that someone cared that they had a nice Christmas We were able to help more than 70 families through this assistance this year. It is such a blessing to see the giving that this community does.

Special thanks goes to Kmart, Walmart and Holiday Village Mall for allowing the Salvation Army to put up Christmas Angel Trees and allowing the Christmas Angel Tree gifts to be dropped off — Sears was the drop-off for Holiday Village Mall. Thank you to the many organizations, businesses, and individuals that adopted families. Thirty-two families received services through this program, the highest number adopted since I started working at the Salvation Army in 2005. Many of the families had tears in their eyes when they came to pick up the gifts and food.

We were very successful with the Red Kettle Campaign also. Our goal was $23,000 (this money is spread throughout the year), and we raised more than $26,000, again because of the help from the community of Havre and the surrounding areas. We had 42 volunteers/groups/clubs that rang bells at Gary & Leo's Fresh Foods, Kmart and Holiday Village Mall, and two paid bell ringers at Walmart. Again the generosity of time was greatly appreciated.

I would also like to thank the following groups/clubs for ringing bells: Cub Scouts Pack 4426, Faith Girls (Fifth Avenue Christian Church), HRDC employees, Kiwanis Club (there was a $2,500 check in their kettle), Lions Club (with a match of $1,047.81), Van Orsdel United Methodist Church and Rotary Club. A special thank-you goes to Bonnie Bennett who donated 167 hours to the Red Kettle Campaign by ringing bells. Thank you to the individuals who donated their time, usually more than one day, to help raise the money. Thank you to the person/people who put the Morgan Silver Dollar in a kettle, as well as those responsible for putting the three Eisenhower Dollars in the buckets. Those coins brought in an additional $80.

The generosity given this last Christmas was outstanding as was the compassion for those in need. It is nice to know that a community will step up when they know that someone needs a helping hand. We still have a lot of hurting people who need assistance in this community, the funds raised during the Red Kettle Campaign will be a great help in meeting the many needs. Again, thank you, and may God bless you.

Trina Crawford

Director of Social Services

Havre Salvation Army Service Center