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London’s Salvation Army has seen an uptick in support for its Christmas campaign since sounding the alarm about a shortage of both donations and volunteers, officials say, but a “crucial shortfall” remains with one week until Dec. 25.
Last week, the agency called on Londoners to donate more money and time to the Christmas Kettle drive so it can reach the local fundraising goal, $650,000. Roughly 44 per cent of “kettle shifts” – volunteers who guard donation spots in public places like malls – were unfilled then, but that’s now down to one-third, officials said.
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Fundraising has jumped, too, since last week’s call for help. They sat at 36.5 per cent of their local fundraising goal, but are now at 57.3 per cent with Christmas seven days away.
“We’re still just as much in need as ever,” said Cortney Harkin, spokesperson for The Salvation Army Southwestern Ontario. “We’re still encouraging people to visit the kettles for donations and hoping for more volunteers.”
Officials have attributed the fundraising shortfall to the Canada Post strike that ended when employees were ordered back to work on Tuesday. But direct-mail appeals for donations remain in the delivery backlog, which Harkin noted may result in them arriving “too late” and supporters “deciding to donate next year” instead.
The fundraising lag is felt nationwide, with local officials previously saying donations were down 50 per cent right across Canada. Locally, more than 65 per cent of the agency’s annual fundraising is done from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, making the toll of any Christmastime shortfall all the more acute.
The money collected during the Christmas Kettle push helps fund local programs such as community meals, homelessness prevention programs, school breakfast and lunch initiatives and the Christmas assistance program for needy families.
The charity is accepting online donations at salvationarmy.ca. To volunteer for shifts overseeing donation kettles, go to londonchristmaskettles.ca or call 1-866-670-BELL (2355). The Kettle Campaign that started on Nov. 18 runs until Dec. 31.
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