With a goal of $178,000 this year, the Salvation Army of Madison held its Red Kettle Kickoff with a Jingle and Mingle event on Friday.
“You might think holy moly that’s a lot of money. It is, but we do a lot of good with that money,” said Madison Salvation Army Captain Janelle Cleaveland. “We help a lot of people. Each month we serve over 2,000 meals through our Lord’s Kitchen feeding program. In the winter, we are the warming shelter for everyone who is living on the streets and has nowhere else to go.”
Cleaveland said the $178,000 goal “is not impossible,” noting that last year the kettle campaign raised more than $150,000.
She said the Salvation Army works every day to “make a bad situation better. We make somebody’s life better by helping them in whatever way that we can help them — if that’s a meal, if that’s clothing, if that’s shelter or whatever it is, we are there to help them and to serve them. We love being in this community.”
Cleaveland noted 2025 will be the 100th anniversary of the Salvation Army serving Madison and Jefferson County. “We are hoping for something really great that year to celebrate that because that is an amazing thing to be in this community so long.”
The kettle campaign began Monday, Nov. 20, with bell ringers at Hobby Lobby, Kroger and two doors at Walmart from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Cleaveland said with 1,200 hours of bell ringing needed throughout the holiday season, the Salvation Army is seeking volunteers for that task. “We really need your help. We really need your support,” Cleaveland said.
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