Despite the sound of tiny bells ringing at the 17 Salvation Army Red Kettle locations, fundraising for the Red Kettle drive is down 14 percent from last year, Salvation Army Lieutenant Bradley Hargis said Monday.
"I think the biggest reason donations are down this year is partly because there was so much activity earlier this year with the hurricanes. All the donations we received to support hurricane victims really affected people's capacity to give at Christmas," Hargis said.
The goal for this year is set at $120,000. Hargis said he based the goal off what they raised last year. As of Monday, they have only raised $60,000.
The Salvation Army of Hot Springs serves people in Garland, Clark and Montgomery counties. He said if the goal is not met all regular operations would continue, but at a diminished capacity.
Hargis said the funds collected during the Red Kettle drive directly benefit the local community and go toward buying gifts for forgotten angels from the Angel Tree program and general operating costs for The Salvation Army's nightly feeding program, food pantry and utility assistance program.
"The Salvation Army is the only organization in the area offering a free dinner on a daily basis. It's important that the program is funded because we feed an average of around 200 people each night," he said.
There are 17 Red Kettle locations set up around Garland County this year. Bell ringers consist of a mix of paid, temporary employees and volunteers dedicated to serving their community.
Some volunteers choose to ring bells for a few hours once or twice a week, while others will spend an entire day volunteering their time, Hargis said. Some bell ringers directly benefit from services provided by The Salvation Army and have chosen to support the organization that supports them.
"We have two veterans volunteering this year. When they returned home from war, they were greeted by members of The Salvation Army and decided they wanted to be involved with the organization," Hargis said.
This year they were unable to set up Red Kettle locations in Clark and Montgomery counties due to a lack of volunteers, but there are plans to branch out next year.
"While donations might be down, I know that there are several gifts and such that have already come in and we are very thankful for that," he said.
"We might not reach our goal this year, but we are still very thankful for everyone that has contributed to our cause."
Local on 12/12/2017