With Christmas around the corner, Salvation Army organizations are kicking off their annual red kettle campaigns.
That includes the Kelowna-Lake Country Salvation Army, which launched its campaign on Friday.
But unlike previous years, this season’s kick-off was a lot quieter.
“In past years, we have had a big event, where we invited the community to come tour our operations,” said Darryl Burry, executive director for the Kelowna-Lake Country Salvation Army. “Unfortunately, we can’t do that this year.”
Instead, the kick-off saw 11 kettles scattered throughout Kelowna and Lake Country — about half of the roughly 20 that usually come out on the first day of the campaign.
The significant reduction in kettles is being blamed on a lack of regular volunteers, who are staying away because of COVID-19.
It’s one of the pandemic-related challenges that the Salvation Army is facing this year.
“Unfortunately, this year because of COVID, being immune-compromised or just because of personal concerns, they’re saying ‘We, unfortunately, can’t do that this year,'” Burry said.
“We totally understand and appreciate those reasons.”
Normally at the start of the campaign, 3,000to 4,000 hours of kettle shifts would already be filled. But this year, only 1,800 hours have been spoken for.
“It is a significant decrease and so we do need an army of volunteers to still step forward to help us make this campaign a success,” Burry told Global News.
“I’m thinking specifically of teams from high school, maybe getting their volunteer hours. This is a really easy way to stand in front of a kettle for a couple of hours to get those requirements for your high school graduation and really make a difference.”
Burry said the organization also had to re-think its kettle-station locations to ensure a safe environment for the bell ringers as well as the community at large.
“So some of the locations that we’ve had in the past have been in areas where maybe there’s not a lot of space, maybe in a breezeway of a store,” Burry said.
“So now we’re trying to ensure that our kettles will be outside or in large open areas, where we can have some physical distancing for those who are coming to donate as well as for the bell ringers.”
The anticipated challenging fundraising season comes at a time when the need for help has grown significantly.
“We have seen the need of the number of families, individuals accessing our services increase by an average of 61 per cent this year, Burry said.
“In March alone, we saw our numbers jump by 73 per cent and of all those numbers, 47 per cent accessing our service this year have never had to do so in the past.”
The Salvation Army is encouraging people to use their social media platforms to launch their own Fill The Kettle campaigns.
“Individuals and businesses can sign up to host their own virtual kettle on their website or social media,” Burry said.
“It’s similar to a GoFundMe page. You can set a goal and encourage your contacts your friends and family to donate to your kettle.”
Click here for more information about the Fill The Kettle virtual campaign.
And for the first time ever, the Kelowna-Lake Country Salvation Army will soon be using ‘TipTap’ technology at its kettle stations.
Starting in early December, donors will be able use their bank cards or Smartphones to make $5 donations.
“It’s a contactless donation method that’s going to be right in the kettle,” Burry said. “It’s a little square type of a device and you tap your card and you automatically make a $5 donation.”
The local Salvation Army is hoping to reach its goal of $650,000.