Despite the awful weather just before Christmas – and during some of the busiest shopping days of the year – the Salvation Army of Chatham-Kent has surpassed its Christmas campaign goal.
In a social media post on Dec. 28, the organization announced it had collected a total of $500,284, just a hair more than its half-a-million-dollar target.
“Looking at last year’s numbers, we lost out on approximately $10,000 since we were unable to have kettles out in stores on Dec. 23 and 24,” officials stated, “but the safety of our employees and volunteers came first and we are grateful for the funds we did receive.”
The major snowstorm that blanketed much of Ontario resulted in closed roads and stores in many communities.
However, the Salvation Army noted $354,897 in donations were either mailed in or dropped off at its various Chatham-Kent locations during the Christmas season.
A total of $145,387 in donations came from kettles in stores. Of this amount, $15,855 was received from the tap devices attached to the kettle stands.
Last year, the organization was also successful in reaching its $500,000 goal.
Earlier in December, Maj. Stephen Holland said cost of living increases, including rising rents, were making it difficult for those on lower incomes to pay the bills, making the fundraising push that much more important.
For more information, call 519-354-8353 or visit www.cksalvationarmy.org.