By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Donations are said to be down as part of the Salvation Army of Livingston County’s annual Red Kettle Christmas Campaign but officials say they remain positive the community will step up and help reach the goal.

With Christmas only two and a half weeks away, the local Corps is reaching out to the community to ask for help. The donations collected during the season make up approximately 1/3 of the yearly budget for the local Corps and are used to support its various year-round services and programs. As of Wednesday, officials reported that $122,441 had been raised – marking around 31% of the $385,000 goal. They also noted the many challenges this season including fewer bell ringing locations and not having enough bell ringers. As of Monday, the kettles were said to have 1,910 hours of bell ringing not covered – which is almost 60% of the hours available.

Lt. Robert Leach said this year their challenge is finding bell ringers and he’s sure the community has noticed that many of their kettle stands have no one ringing. He said they’ve had this problem in the past but are really struggling this year due to COVID-19. Leach says if volunteers take the minimum two hours and a couple more organizations and businesses take a few more full days, they should be able to have the majority of their Kettle sites filled. Bell ringers are needed to fill locations every day through Christmas Eve. Those wishing to help can sign up online www.RegisterToRing.com. There is also a virtual red kettle option for those unable to physically ring or those who want to double down. To encourage both, the Salvation Army has added an opportunity to win prizes, including a drawing for a Smart Watch.

More information can be found in the attached press release.