The Salvation Army of Kent County Partners with iHEARTMEDIA
The Salvation Army of Kent County continued to meet the increased need throughout 2020 and during the recent Christmas season, but is 10% short of its $1.3 million Red Kettle Campaign financial goal.
To help reach the goal, The Salvation Army is teaming with three iHeartMedia stations in West Michigan from Jan. 11-17. Periodically on Newsradio WOOD 1300 and 106.9 FM, Star 105.7 and 104.5 SNX, on-air personalities Justin Barclay, John MacLeod and Lauren Smith will encourage listeners to donate. Donors are asked to visit salarmy.us/newyear to contribute.
Money raised from the Red Kettle Campaign, which officially kicked off on Nov. 13 and will run through the end of January, is crucial to funding programs and services throughout the year, including those provided at Christmastime.
This past holiday season, 1,783 families in Kent County received Christmas assistance, a number double what it was in 2019. The 1,783 families equate to 7,147 total individuals served, including 4,078 children. Thirty percent of those individuals who received service had never sought help from The Salvation Army previously – in a “normal” year, the organization projects that number to be near 10 percent.
“We are almost to our goal and are extremely appreciative of the West Michigan community for their generous support, especially considering the economic circumstances,” said Major Glen Caddy, Divisional Commander. “We anticipate the request for assistance will continue to rise in 2021. The Salvation Army remains steadfast in taking care of our community’s critical necessities during and after the pandemic.”