A familiar holiday sound can now be heard throughout the Capital. The Salvation Army bells will ring at malls and street corners as the organization launches this season’s Christmas Kettle Campaign.
“Seeing families come in, they look just like me and you, there they are reaching out for help,” says the Salvation Army’s Sean Maddox.
Maddox says the Salvation Army supports 20,000 people in Ottawa each year, “you break that down and you’ve got thousands of men and women, and 7,000 families that reach out for help each year.”
The Salvation Army, partnering with CTV Ottawa and Bell Media, officially launched the Christmas Kettle Campaign in the historic Byward Market Thursday, November 27, 2014.
“We need to take care of the less fortunate especially this time of year when things start to get colder and the need is greater, so we’re thrilled to be involved,” says Bell Media Vice-President Richard Gray.
The Kettle Campaign aims to raise $600,000 in Ottawa. All of the money raised through the kettles will go directly into front-line programs at the Salvation Army’s Booth Street Centre.
“This supports their community and family services, the addiction programs, the shelter, food programs, clothing programs, emergency and disaster services,” says Maddox, “it’s a core component of our fundraising.”
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson helped to kick-off the campaign; he says the need in Ottawa is great, “people who are unemployed, who have mental challenges, who are homeless. We’re a very rich city but there are also pockets of poverty and we have to help those individuals, not just at Christmas but throughout the year.”
The Salvation Army Christmas Kettles will now be set up at 38 locations around Ottawa, including shopping malls and stores.
