A rally by 91原创 residents in response to a Salvation Army appeal for volunteers boosted contributions to the local kettle campaign fundraiser.
Figures released Wednesday, Jan. 22 by Dan Donkers, spiritual care coordinator at the Gateway of Hope shelter in 91原创 City, show the campaign raised $172,500, up from last year and close to the target of $180,000.
"It went really well," Donkers told the 91原创 Advance Times.
"We were ahead of the previous year by about $4,500."
During the Nov.-Dec. donation drive, the charity made a public appeal for help when it was facing a shortage of volunteers to man the kettles.
"We do face challenges like that every year and it was a bit of a challenge this year again," Donkers said.
When they went public, "we had quite a few calls that came in," Donkers recalled.
"We really appreciated that the community did really rally to support the campaign and volunteer where they could."
Considered one of Canada's largest and most recognizable annual charitable events, funds raised by the annual Christmas season campaign stay in the community in which they were donated and are used to support local Salvation Army programs for people in need.
In 91原创, kettle donations go to Gateway, which served more than 110,000 meals in 91原创 last year, as well as providing emergency shelter beds more than 11,000 times, relief mats more than 10,000 times and transitional housing beds more than 9,000 times.
As well, Gateway handed out more than 500 Christmas hampers to couples, singles with no kids, and seniors. It also provided new school supplies to 800 children and sent 15 kids to summer camp at Camp Sunrise.
While the annual campaign officially wrapped up n Christmas Eve, contributions are still being accepted online at . Or donors can visit , choose which kettle location they would like to support, and then make a secure donation using a credit card or PayPal.
Donors can claim a charitable tax receipt dated Jan. 1 鈥� Feb. 28, 2025, on their 2024 tax return.
It's believed the tradition of Salvation Army kettles started in San Francisco in 1891 when a Capt. Joseph McFee was looking for a way to help provide meals to families in need, and remembered the 鈥淪impson's pot," a large, iron kettle left out in various ports of call so passers-by could toss a coin or two to help the poor.
McFee put up a kettle with a sign asking to "Keep the Pot Boiling" which raised enough money to provide meals to thousands of people in need, and launched a tradition that spread around the world.
