With Christmas fast approaching, the Salvation Army’s Kettle Campaigners are out in the cold weather spreading their holiday cheer and gathering donations.
The funds raised will be used by the local Salvation Army to provide for food programs in Cranbrook and area.
“We’ve started our Kettle campaign,” Silver Pocha, Christmas Kettle Coordinator said. “We started on Dec. 1 and we run Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in six locations here in town.”
Kettles and those manning them will be out right up to Dec. 24 at 2 p.m.
“All of the money that’s raised in the Kettle Campaign stays right here in Cranbrook,” Pocha said. “We have a couple different ways you can donate as well.” You can text HOPE1019 to 45678 which will make a $5 donation through your phone bill. The text option was around last year, but wasn’t widely promoted.
Then there are also online kettles at fillthekettle.com.
“That’s nationwide and you can pick the local Cranbrook kettle and donate to that,” she said.
The Christmas Kettle campaign started in 1906.
“It’s definitely something that’s very widely recognized in Canada,” she said.
“We can always use volunteers. People can phone down to the office here at 250-426-3612. We’re happy to get people scheduled. We like to do two hour slots as the minimum.”
The funds go into helping with the school lunch program.
“Everyday over 100 lunches are delivered to schools free of charge for children here in Cranbrook, and some in Marysville,” she said.
It also goes to help with lunches at the Salvation Army. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday there are lunches, and Wednesday night there is supper.
It also goes to help with emergency food for people and emergency shelters.
“So it all stays in Cranbrook here,” she said. “It helps to support people in the community that need it.”
Canada’s first Kettle was used in St. Johns, Newfoundland in 1906. So they’ve been around for quite a long time in Canada.