Salvation Army Red Kettles short of goal; campaign ends Jan. 31

The running total for the Salvation Army of Cape Girardeau’s annual Red Kettle campaign is up to $224,000 of a $300,000 goal for this year’s holiday season, according to director Lt. Matthew DeGonia, leaving the drive still $76,000 short with a Jan. 31 deadline.

The physical kettles alone accounted for $93,000, but DeGonia said a large part of donations arrived through online Kettle pages.

Personalized online Kettle pages are simple to set up and available to the public, in an effort to reach more potential givers through acquaintances on social media. Kettle pages can be set up individually or as a group and allow the founder to choose where his or her funds will be used and how.

As cash currency slowly fades from societal norm, the Salvation Army’s online Red Kettles are an effective attempt to stay relevant in a changing landscape.

Celebrities such as skateboarder Tony Hawk and Olympic athlete Lolo Jones recently have added their efforts to the movement, serving as virtual bell ringers for their own Kettle pages.

For every dollar donated to the Salvation Army, 82 cents goes back into local initiatives that include feeding the hungry, giving shelter to the homeless and making Christmas possible for those who might otherwise go without.

“The money we make at Christmastime will pay our operating budget for the next year,” DeGonia said. “It pays the bills and keeps the lights on here so we can help people pay their bills and keep their lights on.”

DeGonia said all programs facilitated by the local Salvation Army, such as Meals with Friends and various after-school youth programs, are funded by Red Kettle donations.

There were 17 Kettle sites in Cape Girardeau this year, but rarely were all of them occupied by bell ringers, and, according to DeGonia, hardly any rang on a voluntary basis.

“Ninety-five percent of our bell ringers are paid out of that operating budget,” he said. “My wife and I hope to connect with folks in the community and get more people involved as volunteers.”

DeGonia is hopeful about getting close to the goal for this holiday season but said the facility will need to look forward, make the money stretch further and be careful not to overspend in coming years.

The Salvation Army in Cape Girardeau provided necessities to four local families whose homes burned to the ground this year, DeGonia said.

The organization’s other initiatives include disaster relief, advocacy against human trafficking and domestic abuse, and service provisions for youth and the elderly.

The Red Kettle campaign began in 1901 with a dinner that fed thousands of New Yorkers in Madison Square Garden. The campaign since has grown in scope and impact and extends today into a number of Asian, European and South American countries. The organization reports assisting more than 4.5 million people during the holidays each year in the United States alone. In 2015, the campaign’s 125th year, some 25,000 bell ringers raised $149.6 millionm, according to an annual report.

To donate or learn more about the Salvation Army, visit tsacapegirardeau.org.

Pertinent address:

701 Good Hope St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.