The sounds of jingle bells are in the air in Cochrane as the annual Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign gets underway.
Captain Pam Goodyear is the divisional secretary for public relations and development for the Alberta and Northern Territories division of the Salvation Army. She said this year they are looking to raise $1 million in Calgary and surrounding areas that will go toward their family based programs.
Goodyear said they have already seen an increase in applications for assistance for families at Christmas this year. Last year at this point they had 800 applications, but they are at 1,200 already for 2014.
“You’ve got what we really look at as the working poor, people who have employment but are then struggling when it comes to something extra,” she said.
Goodyear said overall their Christmas program would provide toys for close to 6,000 children and teens this Holiday season. Goodyear said the kettles would be out in Cochrane on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from around 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. at four different locations – Wal-Mart, Safeway, No Frills and Save on Foods.
The money raised not only goes to the Christmas program, but also programs that are available year round to prevent poverty and homelessness.
Goodyear said the Kettle Campaign has been a long-standing tradition in Alberta operating for over 120 years, but originally started in San Francisco in 1891.
She pointed out that a lot of people tell her that the image of Santa ringing the bell next to the kettle has become a part of the Christmas season, and for a lot of people, that kettle is a sign of hope.
Goodyear said they are still looking for volunteers to stand by the kettles at the four locations. They usually ask people to do a two- to three-hour shift and they are more than welcome to bring their kids along and get them involved.
People who are interested can call 403-410-1113. If people would prefer to donate online they can visit fillthekettle.com.
