Red kettle donations help those in need this holiday season

'Doing the Most Good' is their motto and that’s just what they're doing this holiday season. With COVID-19 impacting the nation, the Salvation Army has put an extra foot forward by displaying their red kettles a little early this year.

“For this year we started the first weekend in November. We started a weekend earlier. Our kettles were down last year so we wanted to put forth the effort as soon as we could because we knew the need was greater this year,” said Lieutenant Tamara Robb.

So far, donations have been up and down within the last month of red kettles. Lieutenant Robb says all funds will stay in the location they are donated.

“In each location, the money stays at that location. So we collect money here in Meridian and it stays here,” said Robb. “The money we collect in Newton stays there and the money we collect in Philadelphia stays there and the money is used for different things.”

The money will be used for daily feedings and monthly food distributions. The Salvation Army is still looking for bell ringer volunteers for the red kettles. One local organization in Meridian volunteers every year and says it’s important to give back during these trying times.

“This is a very needy year so anything that the public can give when they walk past these kettles for people who are ringing bells is very much appreciated because all this money is going to people in need,” said Bell Ringer Volunteer and Member of Downtown Optimist of Meridian Jeffery Wilson. “People who need this--they want to have a Merry Christmas just like the rest of us do.”

The Salvation Army will have their red kettles setup until Christmas Eve.