More volunteers are needed to help with the Nanaimo Salvation Army’s annual Christmas Kettle campaign this holiday season.
Hundreds of bell-ringing and carol-singing volunteers donate their time to the campaign each year, but at this stage, a couple hundred empty shifts remain between now and Christmas, said envoy Dawne Anderson, Salvation Army fundraising coordinator.
“We need lots more volunteers,” she said. “Some people are doing it every day, but I’m sure they’re going to start to get burnt out. We’ve gone through most of the people who have said they would be on board, so we need some fresh blood.”
It is a constant battle for Anderson to fill the 100 daily shifts on kettles at 25 different locations from North Nanaimo to Ladysmith. If no one can be found to man a kettle, that means lost revenue for the Salvation Army, which uses the money raised for the community services work it does – the emergency shelter, food hampers, the meals program, clothing and furniture for underprivileged individuals and families, counselling and referral services and affordable housing.
The organization expects to give out at least 2,300 Christmas hampers to local families.
“It’s huge to have all our kettle shifts filled,” said Anderson.
This year’s fundraising goal is $400,000 between the organization’s mail-in donations and the kettle campaign. Last year, the kettles brought in slightly more than $200,000.
To volunteer, please call Anderson at 250-740-1004, 250-716-6595 or e-mail kettles@sananaimo.org.