Duluth Salvation Army Needs A $60,000 Miracle To Hit Goal For 2023 Christmas

The Duluth Salvation Army's Red Kettle Drive is coming to a close. Unfortunately, it appears that the fundraising effort has come up a little short.

As of Wednesday, December 20, the Salvation Army had raised $148,000 of the $225,000 goal. They would have needed to pace $19,000 a day for the rest of the week to hit their lofty goal. The Red Kettle campaign is the biggest fundraiser of the year. It not only helps those in need during the holidays but also other programs throughout the year.

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An update on Friday, December 22nd morning from Director Of Development Cyndi Lewis indicates that they still need $60,000 to hit the goal. That puts the campaign at around $165,000 with just days left to go.

The Red Kettle fundraiser also forecasts the budget for the following year. Because of the shortage, Cyndi Lewis says there will likely be cuts to their social services. Programs such as food shelves, hot lunches, RBA, emergency services, and housing may be impacted.

Lewis explains what this means to the community,

“While bell ringing this season, I had several people come up to me to share their stories of how The Salvation Army stepped in to help their families in their greatest time of need. One pair of sisters recalled how they remembered their family of 7 being so poor, and how The Salvation Army provided them with a full Thanksgiving meal when they were little. ‘Our mom donated up until the day she passed three years ago,’ they explained, ‘and we all donate whenever we can because of how much impact The Salvation Army had on our family.’ Not meeting our fundraising goals will mean that we may not be able to help as many families like theirs, and that breaks our hearts when we have to turn people away”

You can still help by donating online to the Salvation Army in Duluth. Miner's match at Super One Foods continues through Saturday. Anything you can give in the final days before Christmas can help.