Kettles season continues – $600,000 still needed

A white Christmas often brings more than holiday spirit, it brings out more shoppers who fill the red kettles outside retailers. But this year’s ice and rain prompted many to bypass bell ringers. In fact, The Salvation Army only collected about 50% of what we hoped to bring in on the final days before Christmas.

And that has a ripple effect for the Tree of Lights campaign as well. Bell ringing efforts account for 25% of the total fundraising campaign. So, for at least another week about 20 kettles will remain in their current locations across the city to help raise the more than $600,000 still needed to break even with last year’s goal. 

But it’s not just a goal that we’re striving to reach. Our goal represents real people in our city – your neighbors – who are struggling to provide a home and basic necessities for their families. If you have the means, please stop by a kettle or make an on-line donation today. Every dollar makes a difference.

Dunkin’ Opens on Pendleton Pike

On Wednesday morning, we had the pleasure of joining Dennis Gramm and crew to celebrate another Dunkin’ Donuts grand opening. This time we braved the ice-covered roads to head up to Pendleton Pike and Sunnyside.

Our very own Salvation Army Doughnut Girls greeted customers and posed for a few photos. Along with sampling new hot chocolate flavors, we met a few new friends as well. The fine folks from WFMS were there with their music and giveaways to boot! Read more

You shopped. You gave. They shopped.

To those of you who participated in our annual Christmas toy drive – whether you donated a toy, hosted a collection site at your business or gave of your time to help moms and dads shop for gifts at the Toy Shop  – THANK YOU! More than 13,000 toys were collected and purchased this season through our Angel Tree and WISH Tree collection drive – you gave more than $15,000 outside Lucas Oil Stadium, online and by mail.

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Your generosity makes it happen

Do you realize that a week ago you changed lives? I’m not kidding. When you answered my call (or made that call yourself) you made a decision that will have a profound impact on someone’s life. If you were able to listen during our WIBC Radiothon last weekend, you heard the stories of women in our shelter, of volunteers who understand what it’s like to give to those who are struggling, of Angela who was able to turn her life around at our Harbor Light rehabilitation center. Your generosity makes that happen!

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Radiothon ends at $220,000!

That’s really what we had at the end of the event, $220,000!!!! (and we were excited when Advisory Board member Don Steel and our own Development Director Jeff Stanger announced that we passed the $217,000 mark.) And that doesn’t factor in online donations and kettle counts still to report, so we’ll be sure to post the official count when we have it. I just don’t know how to express how thankful we are to all of you who gave, and gave and gave (check out the photos here)! A simple “thanks” doesn’t seem like enough to cover the generosity, but it’ll have to do. If you pledged a donation, donated a prize, fed our volunteers, sponsored an hour, answered a phone rang a bell outside or sent a prayer our way – THANK YOU!

Specifically – Read more

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