Division Kicks Off In-Person Red Kettle Season
Lt. Colonel Larry Ashcraft has manned Salvation Army red kettles at Christmastime for more than 50 years in cities big and small. He can still recall, however, what it was like his very first time as a 5-year-old standing next to his bell-ringing father on an unseasonably warm day in front of the F&R Lazarus department store in downtown Columbus, Ohio.
“I remember these big holiday windows,” said Lt. Col. Ashcraft, who is now the Divisional leader for The Salvation Army of Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware. “It was a tradition for people to bring their kids to see the windows, but The Salvation Army and giving to those less fortunate were also part of that tradition.”
The tradition continues today as the 2020 Red Kettle campaign kicks into high gear. In the Philadelphia area, the season opened at a Wal-Mart store in Norristown on Nov. 23, complete with a traditional Salvation Army band playing “Jingle Bells” and two bellringers on either side of a kettle greeting those who dropped their coins and bills into the slot. To be sure, there are extra precautions this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The kettles were wiped down after each donation, and the bellringers and musicians were all socially distanced.
“I remember in high school ringing bells at our local CVS,” said State Senator-Elect Amanda Cappelletti of District 17, who attended the Norristown kickoff. “It’s so important to support an organization like The Salvation Army that does so much in our community.”
For more than a century, the red kettles have been one of the most successful fundraising campaigns in the country. Nationally, The Salvation Army raised $126 million through 30,000 counties in 2019. The Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Division generated $3.3 million.
COVID-19, however, threatens to reduce those donations by as much as 50 percent in 2020 due to reduced foot traffic in cities and the fact people are carrying less cash and coins. As a result, The Salvation Army is urging people to consider donating through safe digital options online or by texting KETTLE to 41444. You can even ask Amazon Alexa to donate by saying, “Alexa, donate to The Salvation Army” and then specifying the amount. Some celebrities are also helping. DJ Khaled, for example, challenged his friends to support The Salvation Army and those who it serves.
Money raised from the red kettles provides Christmas presents for children and food for those who need assistance, while also supporting the full range of programs that The Salvation Army offers throughout the year.
Demand for these programs continues to intensify the longer the pandemic continues. Since the pandemic began, the Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Division has provided more than 13 million meals. That’s more than twice what the division normally handles for a full year.
“The need is really great,” Lt. Col. Ashcraft said at the Norristown kickoff.
He expressed confidence, however, that the generosity of the people in the region will shine through this Christmas.
“The majority of our support comes from average people who understand that they may not have a lot themselves, but they have more than some of their neighbors,” he said.
To learn more or to get involved, visit pendel.salvationarmy.org.