Columbus Salvation Army looks for communities help to fund mission
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – With their Red Kettles and Angel Trees, many people associate the Salvation Army with the Christmas season.
The group is in the business of helping people year-round, and that means that they have a year-round need for funding.
Unfortunately, the Summer months often mean a slowdown in donations and an increase in requests for help, especially with things like utilities.
Captain Thomas Johnson said the organization looks to give back in several areas.
From disaster relief, social service assistance, and providing food to those in need. The Salvation Army relies on community donations to fund its mission.
“The Red Kettle program is our major fundraiser for the entire year. so the money that we raise at Christmas is what gets us year round so if we had a bad Christmas, which we did have a low Christmas in our past season, that is affecting what we are going through right now,” Johnson said.
When donations dip, giving back to those in need can become more difficult.
“There have been cases where people have come to our office and funding is just not available,” Johnson said.
Johnson said there are always needs in the communities. Some are more seasonal than others.
” More people were coming in asking for utility assistance and I think that families are really struggling during this time because of the temperatures and heat. When temperatures rise they have to run those units more and they have to choose. ‘Hey, I’m going to have to run this unit because I want my family to be safe and cool’ and we understand that because it is hot in MS and we have families that come in and say Hey I can provide food on the table for my family right now,” Johnson said.
One way the Salvation Army raises funds outside of the Red Kettle fundraiser is through its Family Store which is open year-round.
Family Store Manager Mattie Hicks says every dollar you spend helps someone in need.
“What we make here at the store is allocated to help with food to help with the community also for helping pay utility bills or any disaster relief or any of that”
The store looks to bring in nice items at an even lower price to drive more sales and help those in the community even more.
If you would like to donate you can visit columbussalvationarmy
