Salvation Army kettle campaigns in Nanaimo and Parksville are close to the ambitious goals set by organizers. (Salvation Army)

By Alex Rawnsley

FUNDRAISING GOALS

Salvation Army kettle campaigns tantalizingly close to ambitious goals

Dec 23, 2019 | 11:28 AM

NANAIMO — Salvation Army branches in both Nanaimo and Parksville are close to lofty kettle campaign goals heading into the final day of collections.

Wrapping Christmas eve, the kettle campaign raises money to fund local programs such as soup kitchens and food banks.

Mt. Arrowsmith Salvation Army’s Bonnie Brown told NanaimoNewsNOW the money raised in a particular community is spent directly in that community.

“The money helps fund all of our activities, most notably our soup kitchen which offers a hot meal four days a week,” Brown said. “We serve about 1,800 people at the soup kitchen every month and have about 500 people come through the food bank during normal months and up to about 1,200 over Christmas.”

Brown added their branch is at around 80 per cent of their $110,000 goal for 2019 and are ahead on both donations and volunteers over last year.

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In Nanaimo, fundraising is also up on 2018 thanks in large part to the weather.

“Twelve months ago we had that huge windstorm that shut a number of our kettles down and really caused havoc not just for us but many people in Nanaimo and the region,” local officer-in-charge Robin Burrows said.

The Nanaimo and Ladysmith Salvation Army set a $240,000 goal ahead of this year’s kettle campaign, one designed to help fund key local programs.

Burrows said they’re within $20,000 of reaching that total.

“Our key program is the feeding program down at the New Hope Centre,” Brown said. “We serve over 90,000 meals a year out of there…it’s a big operation.”

alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley