By Aether Van Dyke
What comes to mind when you think of The Salvation Army? Do memories flash through your mind of bell ringers standing outside major department stores and malls during the holiday season? Perhaps you think of a charity, a thrift store or a food pantry. In fact, The Salvation Army does all of this and so much more. Indeed, the global organization goes above and beyond for their communities, and it is most evident during the holiday season, which sadly for so many is not, the ‘happiest time of the year.’
The Salvation Army’s mission is a year-round, 24/7 commitment, dedicated to meeting the needs of those in their community who are disadvantaged and struggling, often due to no fault of their own. The Salvation Army provides, among other things, grocery and rent assistance, access to warm, clean clothes, toiletries and hot meals to many who would otherwise go weeks without. These initiatives are funded in great part by the organization’s holiday Red Kettle campaign, which typically starts the Friday before Thanksgiving and runs all the way to Christmas Eve.
The local branch, currently under the command of Major Ed Binnix, is responsible for the needs of those in a total of eight surrounding counties, extending as far west as Walton County, east to Franklin County and north to the Alabama line. It is a huge undertaking and the need has only grown exponentially since Hurricane Michael.
Every year is a challenge, but perhaps none greater than this year. With in-store shopping down across the country, less money in circulation due to layoffs, and a shortage of volunteers and paid workers, Major Binnix and his team are faced with an unprecedented predicament. “This year the national office predicts giving will be down as much as 50% over last year. Although it is anticipated that we will exceed national projections, there will likely be a significant shortfall,” Major Binnix added.
There are a total of 25 Red Kettle locations in our eight-county area, and currently only nine are being regularly manned. Operating at full capacity, the Red Kettles are manned each day, six days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Major Binnix explained further, “Ideally, we ask volunteers and paid staff to commit to a two to eight-hour shift, but two-hour shifts are available first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening. The evenings are our busiest time, due to higher foot traffic through the stores later in the day. Traditionally we have also relied on the kindness of vacationing Snow Birds to help fill in any scheduling gaps we may have, but again, there are less seasonal residents here this year.”
The math is simple enough to understand — great need minus less resources equals less programs, which equates to even greater need in the coming year. So, what can we do to help? First and foremost, give! Give, whatever you can afford whether it is your time to “ring the bell,” or put money in the kettle. The Salvation Army makes it easy to do both, with two simple websites: registertoring.com and give.salvationarmyusa.org. Either way, if you do register online, be sure to enter your panhandle zip code to ensure your gift of time and money stay in your county. Be bold this holiday season and give the gift of hope and love to your community.
