Fox Cities Salvation Army $1.2 Million Christmas campaign
goal reached for 2012
$600,000 in Kettle Match days helped by donors and volunteers
The Salvation Army – Fox Cities once again met its ($1.2
million) Christmas goal thanks to a large volunteer force and a record number
community red kettle match days that donors responded strongly to. A total of $1,218,200 was collected. That goal consisted of direct mail, red
kettle donations and year-end contributions. Over the past ten years the local
community has helped to meet the annual campaign drive goal.
During the 2012 Christmas season, the non-profit faith-based
organization, with the public’s generosity, helped to make it a much brighter
Christmas for thousands of families in need locally.
Despite a tentative economy, close to one dozen red kettle
community matched days helped to raise approximately $600,000 at the kettles on
match days alone. The Thrivent Financial
for Lutherans match day has now helped to raise over $2 million dollars in its
nine years of existence. The 2012 Thrivent match day accounted for close to
$300,000 on November 30, 2012. Volunteer
bell ringers and generous donors help to drive the kettle match days.
Over than 33,480 toys (games, books, stuffed animals and toys
of all kind) were provided through the USMCR’s Toys for Tots and a
Salvation Army toy shop program to over 3,440 children from 1,436
families. The Toys for Tots program is coordinated locally by the Valley Home Builders Association.
The community supported Adopt-A-Family program
sponsored 557 families totaling 2,286 individuals. Another 326 individuals from 232 households
were provided food baskets for a Christmas meal.
Combined, The Salvation Army-Fox Cities distributed food and
gifts to 2,225 families totaling 8,623 people that were in need in the Fox
Cities.
Additionally, over 4,600 warm winter coats were distributed
during the annual “Coats for Kids” campaign sponsored by Cumulus Broadcasting
and WLUK Fox TV-11.
The demand for services remained steady in 2012 with the
Emergency Food Pantry program distributing approximately one million pounds of
groceries to over 38,000 income qualified individuals in need. The Noon Feeding Program provided over 51,
800 nutritious meals that were served last year. The one of a kind lunch feeding program is
open to walk-ins in need of a warm meal.
"When it comes to gifts under the tree, we received
abundance from folks during the 2012 Christmas Bell-Ringing season! Our gifts came in the form of warm embraces,
tears of joy, handshakes and ‘thank you’ from the thousands of families we
served,” said Captain Randy Tooley, Corps Officer Fox Cities.
“The statistics mentioned are only a reflection of the many
people whose lives were impacted because of YOU! We are grateful to everyone who supported
this year’s Christmas program, by either by supporting the fantastic kettle
match days, purchasing gifts for families, volunteering your precious time,
supporting our efforts by spreading the word and encouraging others to
participate or praying for the program itself and those we have the honor of
serving,” said the Captain.
Volunteers prove to be the driving force
Giving ones time, proved just as important as giving money-
as over 11,000 hours of bell ringing were filled by 2,300 community volunteers
ringing at the Red Kettles in the Fox Cities at the 50 kettle sites. The
bell-ringing season ran from Nov. 2 until December 24 in the Valley.
Another 528 volunteers donated 4,795 hours of their time to
assist with the annual Christmas registration and toy distribution process in
November and December.
What comprises the Fox Cities’ $1.2 million dollar goal
The Salvation Army – Fox Cities’ $1.2 million dollar 2011
Christmas fund-raising goal accounts for approximately 60 percent of the local
Salvation Army’s operating budget that is generated from public support. These funds were collected at the red kettles,
year-end corporate or individual donations and through a Christmas mail
appeal. The collected funds provided
assistance to thousands of the areas needy at Christmas and fund many of the
Army’s year-round efforts to those in need in the Fox Cities. The goal was achieved in mid-January and has
been met for another consecutive year.
The Red Kettle Campaign, the oldest annual charitable
fund-raiser of its kind in the United States, helps raise money for those who
need it most in communities nationwide providing toys for kids, coats for the
homeless, food for the hungry and countless social service programs year-round.
From its humble beginnings as a fund-raiser started by a Salvation Army captain
in San Francisco in 1891, the Red Kettle Campaign has grown into one of the
most recognizable and important charitable outreach efforts in the United
States.