The Christmas season is often an important fundraising opportunity for local charities, and this year was no exception as more people are in need in St. Albert.
While Christmas has come and gone, the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign is collecting donations up until Dec. 31. Salvation Army Capt. Breagh Rowe said the campaign had raised $310K on Dec. 21, about $40,000 shy of their goal.
“Compared to previous years, we’re not only on track to meet our goal, but maybe overshoot it a little bit,” Rowe said. “Once we get everything in, we’re excited to see what the final total is.”
The Kettle Campaign is the charity’s annual fundraiser, the one time of year the organization asks the public for help to keep their social service programs running.
Year-round programs including youth drop-in, kids summer camps, youth leadership programs and food market depend on money raised through the campaign. During the Christmas season, the Salvation Army’s free toy store gave out 450 toys for families in need.
Despite freezing temperatures during the cold snap, Rowe said volunteers stepped up to make sure they were there for their kettle shifts. One volunteer still showed up to his shift after getting into a fender bender on the way there, she said.
“We told him that we could get one of our coordinators to cover the shift and that it was fine, but he showed up 15 minutes later. He was so excited,” Rowe said.
“Those are the types of volunteers we have. They’re just incredible and they bring us so much joy. The commitment that they have doing it and participating in it makes us so happy, and it makes everything worth it.”
Rowe said the Salvation Army saw almost 300 people participate in the campaign this season, from standing next to the bubbles during the day to collecting the donations at the end.
Hockey teams and schools also volunteered their time to the campaign, keeping the “generational spirit of volunteerism” going, Rowe said.
“We found there was a general uptick in volunteers and people who really, really understood that there’s a need. They see the kettles as a simple way that they can help out, but it’s invaluable to us. It means everything to us.”
The Kinette Club of St. Albert’s annual Christmas Hamper Campaign delivered hampers to 271 families this year, said campaign co-chair Julie DeMott.
But if it wasn’t for retailers and organizations in St. Albert, the hamper campaign wouldn’t have been possible this year as individual donations dropped, she said.
“We would have been in a very different situation. If we didn’t receive the donations we did, there would be 271 families who wouldn’t have had a Christmas,” DeMott said.
“Demand has gone up, but donations have gone down. Support has gone down because some people don’t have anything, or those that used to support are now on our recipient list.”
The list of businesses and organizations that participated in this year’s campaign is a long one.
HML Landscape Construction hosted a fundraiser on December 8 for the Kinette’s and gathered toys for the hamper campaign.
St. Albert Realtor Brian Cyr stepped up to fundraise and raise awareness for the campaign, and volunteered to help with their Fill-A-Bus campaign.
FreshCo in St. Albert donated their space for Kinette volunteers to store donations and put the hampers together, along with an additional donation to the campaign.
The St. Albert Gazette, Michelle Broadbent Agent Desjardins Insurance and the Century Casino are among the list of supporters as well.
“These companies, all of the schools, red box locations and Fill-A-Bus locations — thank you for making a difference in this community and bringing Christmas to so many families, DeMott said.
