COLUMBUS, Ind. — The nonprofit Columbus Salvation Army, which operates a sizable food pantry and helps with other needs such as utilities, is $67,000 behind in its Christmas Red Kettle Campaign.
Part of that campaign, which constitutes the local office’s annual budget except for salaries, ends at noon Dec. 24. But mailed donations can be accepted until Jan. 31, according to its leaders.
Capt. Amy Tompkins said she “would at least like to get to $70,000 by Christmas Eve.”
The collected total stood at $43,611 at noon Thursday. The overall goal is $110,000 to support the food pantry serving about 1,000 households weekly, rent and utilities assistance, Bags of Hope groceries to shut-ins, summer camps for youth, weekly youth, men’s and women’s activities at its church at 2525 Illinois Ave., and more.
Tompkins has regularly praised Bartholomew County residents as caring and generous, not only with financial donations, but with gift-buying for its annual Angel Tree for children and teens at Christmas.
One of the problems with the campaign has been the limited number of bell ringers available, with only five or six active kettles most days. Tompkins said that the most-staffed kettles are at Walmart at 2025 Merchant Mile, Hobby Lobby at 1149 N. National Road, and Rural King at 2985 N. National Road, all in Columbus.
She added that the current total is the lowest collected total this late in the Christmas season since she came to Columbus five years ago.
For the complete story, see Friday’s Republic.
