The Salvation Army Aims to Raise $1.5 Million in a Single Afternoon
Commissioner Kenneth Hodder, National Commander of The Salvation Army, issues national fundraising challenge
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 9, 2022 -- The Salvation Army's National Commander, Commissioner Kenneth Hodder, issued the "National Commander's Red Kettle Challenge", to Salvation Army officers, staff, volunteers, and supporters across the country earlier this holiday season to raise more donations than him on Friday, December 9, 2022. Today, Commissioner Hodder will be putting his bell-ringing skills to the test at his local Walmart Supercenter (5885 Kingstowne Blvd, Alexandria, VA 22315) from 3p.m. to 7p.m. ET.
This year's challenge has a goal to raise $1.5 million nationwide after last year's challenge yielded more than $1.1 million in donations. The Red Kettle Challenge comes during The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign, one of the oldest and largest charitable campaigns in the world.
"It's so important that The Salvation Army does everything we can to help our most vulnerable neighbors in need as they face a gauntlet of challenges from inflation and the lingering effects of the pandemic over the last 36 months," said Commissioner Hodder. "Thanks to a generous public, The Salvation Army is able to love beyond the holidays and provide services to more than 25 million people all year long."
The National Commander's Red Kettle Challenge is an important fundraising initiative for The Salvation Army's holiday season as millions of individuals and families are facing uphill battles of some sort, made harder by the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, inflation, evictions, job loss, natural disasters, and more. With almost two-thirds of people in America – over 200 million– living paycheck-to-paycheck, The Salvation Army is committed to providing help and hope to vulnerable people in need not only during the holidays but all-year long.
Every dollar donated to The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign stays in local communities, helping vulnerable or struggling neighbors. These donations help The Salvation Army provide a range of social services including shelter, feeding, after-school programs, addiction-recovery programs, summer camps, disaster assistance, and more.
To support your neighbors through your local Salvation Army:
- Visit SalvationArmyUSA.org and Love Beyond Christmas with a sustaining gift of $25 per month. A $25 monthly gift over the course of one year provides:
- More than a week of shelter
- More than 230 meals to those in need
- Christmas gifts for 4 children in need
- Donate digitally with Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo at any Red Kettle across the country
- Ask Amazon Alexa to donate by saying, "Alexa, donate to The Salvation Army," then specifying the amount
- Give any amount by texting "KETTLES" to 51555
- Donate cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or Ethereum
- Encourage friends and family to give virtually through options like Facebook Fundraiser or Fundraise for Good
Every donation provides help and hope to those in need, and all gifts remain in the community in which they are given.
To learn more about how The Salvation Army meets human needs around the holidays and throughout the year, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org.
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About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army annually serves more than 25 million people in America, helping them overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,200 centers of operation around the country. In 2021, The Salvation Army was ranked No. 2 on the list of "America's Favorite Charities" by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood.