CHARITY: Salvation Army setting higher goal

It has been a generous start. After collecting donations over two weekends in November, Salvation Army's Christmas kettles are about to be staffed full-time at shopping centres around Sarnia, said Major Rick Pollard.

More money has been raised so far than at this point in last year's kettle campaign, Pollard said, adding, "That's a good indicator."

Volunteers will staff the kettles until Christmas Eve.

"The funds that come in from the kettles are kept locally," Pollard said.

They help fund the Salvation Army's programs for the poor throughout the year.

That assistance can take the form of helping keep the heat on during the winter, paying for medicines and providing food from the Salvation Army's food bank, Pollard said.

"We help where we can."

The Salvation Army has seen the impact of recent tough economic times and job losses.

"We've had quite a spike in the number of people who have come in for assistance in the past few months," Pollard said. "And, that will continue until things get a little better."

Pollard said they expect to pack 1,100 Christmas hampers locally for the needy, which is up "a couple of hundred" from last Christmas.

The local kettle campaign set a goal of $77,000 last year and brought in about $93,000, Pollard said.

They're aiming for $100,000 this holiday season.

"The community is really generous," he said. "We just have to say 'Thank you,' because without them, we wouldn't be able to do it."

Along with its own members, individual volunteers and local community groups help run the kettles each year.

Pollard said they also welcome high school students looking to gain volunteer hours.

"Anybody who would like to do a couple of hours on the kettle," he said, "we'd be more than happy to work them in."

Volunteers can call the Salvation Army at 519-337-3011 to find out more about the campaign, Pollard said.

He takes his own turn on kettle duty at Christmas and said he enjoys spending the time watching shoppers as they pass.

"The nice thing about it is you see people you haven't seen in a long time."

The tradition of the Salvation Army's red kettles are said to date to San Francisco 1891 when Captain Joseph McFee wanted to provide Christmas dinner to some of the city's destitute.

As he looked for ways to fund the meal, McFee remembered his days as a sailor visiting Liverpool, England where a large iron kettle, known as "Simpson's Pot," was left out to collect coins to help the poor.

He set out his own pot at the Oakland Ferry landing and collected enough money to provide a meal for the needy that Christmas.

From there, Salvation Army kettles spread across the U. S., and then around the world.