The Salvation Army has decided not to “staff” the familiar red Christmas kettles this holiday season.
Officials list a couple of reasons, including rising COVID-19 cases in the Kingston area and the safety of their volunteers who normally stand by the kettles.
“We have set a goal recently with our budget for this year to raise in the area of $320,000,” says Major Larry Bridger of the Salvation Army Kingston Citadel CO.
“That’s a lofty goal, we realize, in the midst of a pandemic and we thought that maybe with the kettles out we could at least come close to that.”
Bridger says that it will be a real challenge to come anywhere near this year’s goal, as the kettles are not yet out.
However, the Salvation Army will continue with their contactless “tap machines” to collect donations.