The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign is down to their 5th and final weekend of fundraising. In the Greater Green Bay area, the Red Kettle Campaign is only about halfway to their 2017 fundraising goal. They say the money raised during Christmas accounts for nearly half of the Salvation Army’s yearly revenue. June Sawall runs the New London Salvation Army and says eighty-six percent of the money raised at their locations stay in Waupaca County.
“That’s what we use to help people with rent and utilities and all that kind of stuff, and that’s the only money we get all year long,” Sawall said. “So, if we don’t have the ringers, we don’t have the money, and we can’t do the assistance like we should.”
Sawall and the Shawano Red Kettle say Bell Ringers are still needed for this upcoming weekend. Finding bell ringers this season has been especially difficult, Sawall says.
“For whatever reason, it’s been hard finding people, it’s only an hour but we’ve had difficulty with that.”
Sawall also says they are only asking for about an hour and that several locations are sheltered.