Just 9 days to go!

Our 15th annual WIBC Radiothon is nearly upon us – just 9 days left to join us as an hourly or in-kind sponsor.

Not familiar with Radiothon? It’s a 55-hour marathon of giving hosted on WIBC 93.1fm this December 11-13. WIBC’s on-air personalities donate their programming time to invite us in and let our partners and staff and volunteers tell how we’re reaching out to our fellow Hoosiers in need throughout the year.

This event is vital to our fundraising efforts for the entire year. With about 84 cents of every donated dollar going directly to life-changing programs in our communities, these 3 days go a long way! Sponsorship and pledge dollars help us provide shelter for the homeless, refuge for women and children fleeing domestic violence, after-school and summer opportunities for metro Indy children, support for families after natural disasters and assistance for families struggling to provide the basics after job loss.

We’d like to thank our 2009 Radiothon Chair, Quinn Buckner and the Indiana Pacers for their help with Radithon this year. And thanks to our sponsors who’ve already joined us Read more

JCP.com lets you adopt an Angel this Christmas…in your pj’s

JC Penney and The Salvation Army are joining forces this Christmas season to give joy to families in need through a national online Angel Giving Tree program. From now until December 14, for the first-time ever, customers can adopt and shop online for Angels at www.jcp.com/angel, providing tens of thousands of children and seniors facing hardship in communities across the country with Christmas gifts.

“In a year when so many need help, the new online Angel Giving Tree program will extend our reach and make it easier for our customers and Associates to give back this holiday season,” said Mike Boylson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for JCPenney. “By leveraging the strength of jcp.com, we are helping to modernize an American tradition – the Angel Tree program – and creating an innovative way to help families in need in our communities across the nation. Launching this program with The Salvation Army allows us to elevate our support for a cause that is extremely important to our customers and Associates, underscoring our focus on the ‘Joy of Giving’ this holiday season.” Read more

What’s it for?

The average American is only 2 paychecks away from needing emergency assitance to feed and provide shelter for their family. *

We’re seeing just that scenario right here in our city. The Salvation Army has seen the highest requests for assistance in years – an almost 40% increase over 2007. And as families are struggling to make ends meet, our programs are in even higher demand than just six months ago.

This year, we’ve already seen a 15% increase over the record need in 2008 – requests for food, housing and utility assistance. And we’ll surely see the need continue to rise as Indiana unemployment has exceeded 10% and a recent homelessness report shows a 78% increase in homeless families from just a year ago! Radiothon plays a key role in supporting the life-changing services that our neighbors are counting on. Read more

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!

Read more

3 Days. 3 Ways.

Only three days a year will you be able to do so much for others, so easily! Our WIBC Radiothon is a three-day live fundrasising event on WIBC 93.1fm. During these three days, WIBC personalities will donate their on-air programming to share the stories of the men, women and children whose lives have been changed through the generosity of our individual and corporate partners. So, that’s the 3 days; here’s the 3 ways. We’re focusing on a need each day – Friday is homelessness and domestic violence, Saturday is kids’ programs and Sunday is disaster services.

The success of this year’s Radiothon is crucial to our funding of the coming year’s programs. These programs provide refuge to those fleeing domestic violence, shelter to homeless moms and kids, after-school and summer programs for at-risk Indy kids and support for families after natual disasters. And the need is great – we’ve seen a 23% increase in requests for assistance at our Social Service Center in the first half of 2008. And requests will only continue to rise as the cold weather comes.

They say it’s better to give than receive – but what if you could do BOTH? You (as a company, group or individual) can give to help those struggling right here in your community. You’ll recieve on-air mentions during your sponsored hour, publicity on our site and in our newsletter, the opportunity to join us on-air and tell listeners about why you support us (receiving great p.r. and general goodwill), and a sweet tax deduction right at the end of the year! Give AND receive.

Want to know more? Give me (Kristen) a call at 224-1019 or drop me an e-mail at Kristen_Grills@usc.salvationarmy.org. We’re just beginning to fill our sponsor schedule, so there’s plenty of opportunity to help us help those who need it most.