Local donations short on Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign

The Havre Salvation Army has fallen short of its $32,000 goal in local donations, raising about $25,412 with its annual Red Kettle Campaign, but the campaign and the other programs for the holiday were still a success, Havre Salvation Army Social Services Director Trina Crawford said.

“I think the community did an amazing job in helping us,” she said.

People also could contribute online or with their cellphones using a scannable icon on the kettles, but Crawford said that money will not be listed as part of its fundraising.

She said she doesn’t know at this point how to determine how much was contributed with those methods. She said that she hopes they were able to raise at least $5,000 through the online kettle or on the app.

Crawford said the Red Kettle Campaign this year was significantly shorter than last year with 26 days to meet its goal because of how the calendar fell. The Red Kettle Campaign has previously been 31 days and the extra five days were significant, she added.

The goal also was a $4,000 increase from last years goal of $28,000.

She added that a shortage of volunteers also played a role in the campaign this year. 

“That being said, I did have volunteers who stepped up,” she said. “… If it was not for the volunteers, we wouldn’t have been able to do what we did.”

A large benefit this year was also all of the businesses who partnered with the Salvation Army, she said. She was really happy with the with the funds bell ringers were able to raise at Gary & Leo’s Fresh Foods, Walmart and North 40 Outfitters. She added that they are always able to raise a good amount of funds at Gary & Leo’s and Walmart, but North 40 is a relatively new partner and recently moved into a new location, the former KMart building on U.S. Highway 2. 

Crawford said that although the campaign has fallen short she still thinks the community did a great job in raising funds for the Salvation Army.

“I think it’s really good,” she said. “I just want to thank the whole community. It was just another good year.”

The money raised in the Red Kettle Campaign will go toward the Havre Salvation Army’s emergency services center to help provide emergency services to people who are in need in the community. Some of the services the Salvation Army provides is assistance for fire and disaster victims, eviction prevention, emergency lodging, emergency transportation and school supplies.

In addition to the Red Kettle Campaign the Salvation Army’s other programs also did very well this year, Crawford said. She said that this year they were able to help more than 75 families through a combination of the Giving Tree and the Adopt-A-Family programs. 

The Salvation Army also held a toy and gift drive and helped with the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program.

She said that about 62 children were able to receive gifts this year through the Giving Tree and, by partnering with the Toys for Tots program, a total of 189 children were able to receive gifts and toys for Christmas.

“We got to provide for those kids, so it was really cool,” she said.

The point to all of these programs is to help families and children, especially during the holidays when people who have very little or are struggling during a bad time in their lives may need some help from the community, Crawford said. 

“If it wasn’t for (the community) participating in not only the Red Kettle, but the Giving Tree and the Adopt-A-Family and all of those things, there would have been a lot of people who wouldn’t have had a lot for Christmas,” she said.