RED BANK – The Red Kettle Campaign has been officially launched and the Salvation Army hopes to raise $100,000 through its traditional bell ringing to support Christmas programs and services for the entire year.
According to the Salvation Army, this holiday season is expected to be one of the busiest yet. Monies raised during the Red Kettle campaign are used to sustain the vital programs and services that help people in need in their daily struggles.
Last year, more than 1,500 people received assistance from food insecurity; 650 households received holiday assistance for Thanksgiving and Christmas; and more than 500 children received Christmas gifts, which include apparel and footwear, from the Angel Tree Tag Program.
Additional services included various children’s programs, social services and more than 400 meals were provided through the Bread of Life Community Kitchen, all from The Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army Red Bank Corps will hold its 11th annual Red Kettle Classic Basketball Tournament on Friday, Dec. 4, at the Jane H. Booker Community Center in Red Bank, better known as “the gym,” at 6 p.m.
From its humble beginnings as a fundraiser started by a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco in 1891, the Red Kettle Campaign has grown into one of the most recognizable charitable campaigns in the United States. Thousands of Salvation Army bell ringers fan out across the country to ring bells and solicit donations to the iconic Red Kettles from holiday shoppers.
To learn more about the holiday programs and how to get involved, visit www.SalvationArmyNJ.org/redbank and www.facebook.com/RedBankCorpsTSANJ, to check out upcoming events, programs and a listing of stores where you will find the Red Kettle stands.