If you are out shopping this holiday season, you may miss the sound of jingling bells signifying the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign, but there are still ways to give.
The Salvation Army’s iconic red Christmas kettles were set to hit local stores on Nov. 30, but with new pandemic precautions and restrictions within the Barrie area, the decision was made to refrain from placing kettles in their traditional spaces this year, with the exception of some outdoor events.
Salvation Army Barrie Bayside Mission Centre executive director Stephanie Watkinson told BarrieToday that she's “hopeful” the restructured campaign will help the growing need for help the facility has seen in the last nine months.
“We have seen a huge increase in needs for meals a day,” she said. “Before COVID hit, we were serving 300; now we’re at 400 a day.”
While the kettle campaign helps with many aspects of the Salvation Army and its work in the community, it mainly assists with the cost of meals.
There won’t be volunteers standing by the kettles at the malls and select locations, but there are still ways to give to the goal of $600,000
You can donate online here and all donations are locally allocated based on the donor's postal code.
You can also mail to Barrie Bayside Mission Centre, 16 Bayfield St., Barrie, Ont., L4M 3A4.
For those close by, you can drop off financial donations to Barrie Bayside Mission Centre at 16 Bayfield St., or call the Barrie Bayside Mission Centre at 705-728-3737 and donate via your credit card.
