Salvation Army needs kettle holders. Badly.

The Salvation Army, apart from being a well known, faith based Christian denomination, is synonymous with helping the hungry and homeless.

This year, with COVID-19 having affected so many people’s lives, the Army, both in the Sault and nationwide, needs more people to help it, so it in turn can help people in need.

The organization needs volunteers to step up and participate in its annual Christmas Kettle Campaign. 

Red kettles, held by Salvation Army volunteers standing inside or outside malls and other places of business, are found across the country as a way for the public to donate whatever amount of money they can to support the work of The Salvation Army during the Christmas season and throughout the year.

“We need the public’s help like we never have in the past. We don’t have enough volunteers to run an effective kettle campaign. Our need is at the highest I’ve seen in my career,” said local Salvation Army Major Sean Furey, speaking to SooToday Tuesday.

Without enough kettle holders, there won’t be as much money collected. Without enough money collected, the need of the hungry will soar, especially after the economic wreck and ruin caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve never seen this number of people (at the Sault’s Salvation Army Community and Family Services food bank on Elgin Street). Poverty levels right now are through the roof. People are hurting, people are suffering, and those of us who are trying to help are trying to do it with far fewer people to help, and sadly, there are more people out of work than ever before and yet we can’t get anybody to help,” Furey said.

“It’s a scary thought. We’re struggling to get our kettle campaign off the ground for Friday (Nov. 20). It’s going to happen one way or another, but we need volunteers to help us do it.”

Furey said people are wary of venturing outdoors and holding kettles due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

“Another problem is, at our food bank, we have a smaller number of people in the building (due to COVID-19 social distancing). We’re trying to do twice the work, some days four times the work with half the number of people. We’re working really hard. My volunteers are mostly nearly 70 years old, some of them are over 70, and they’re trying to keep up at a pace that really they’re too old for.”

“Two Thursdays ago, we distributed 4,000 pounds of food,” Furey said.

“That’s 4,000 pounds of food that needs to be carried by senior citizens. It’s a struggle to get people to volunteer. Lots of people say they want to volunteer but they don’t show up (an issue with many volunteer based organizations). Some of the organizations that would normally help us at Christmas time are not meeting, not working or their governing bodies are telling them ‘no, we’re going to stay away from any COVID risk.’”

Furey, however, expressed thanks to the Kiwanis Club of Sault Ste. Marie, Knights Of Columbus, the Lions Club of Sault Ste. Marie and companies like the Sutton Group for stepping forward to help with the kettle campaign.

On another positive note, Furey said the Salvation Army Community and Family Services food bank has obtained a needed new freezer for donated food (paid for by Walmart Canada and delivered by Food Banks Canada) and a new walk in fridge (donated by the Toronto Salvation Army).

“(With the freezer) we’ve cycled through in excess of 50,000 pounds of food. And the first week we had the fridge we distributed 12,000 litres of milk.”

“We’re getting a lot of food donated. Generally your local grocer is very community minded and very helpful. I’m sometimes just shocked at the level they're helping. We don’t have a shortage of food. This is the first time in my career I’ve had lots of food (donated to the food bank),” Furey said.

But, back to the local kettle campaign.          

“(Annually) we need about 150 or 160 (kettle holders). We need 35 per day,” Furey said.

Normally, Salvation Army members would cover that need, but many of them are seniors (extra vulnerable for COVID-19), hence the call for others to step forward.

“What the Knights of Columbus will do is take one day, and the Kiwanis will take three or four. They adopt a kettle for a day and they do a good job. People can do it one day a week, two days a week, even once is a help...we have 80 or 90 people right now, but to do it comfortably you need 150,” Furey said.

“Not one cent of the money raised leaves our city and it funds the food bank.”

Underscoring the current need for food for the city’s hungry, Furey said “in a busy week we would serve 60 people. Last week we were serving 200 a day, and we’re anticipating December is going to be far worse. We’re gearing up for a very busy Christmas season.”

Those needing food may call the food bank at (705) 759-4143, provide their names, arrange a time for pickup at 78 Elgin St., show identification at the door (clients prohibited from entering the food bank due to COVID-19) and pick up their food from a table placed outside the building.

People interested in becoming local Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign volunteers may call (705) 945-1877.

Nationally, the Salvation Army is looking to raise $23 million in this year’s Christmas Kettle Campaign.