The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign officially got underway in Mobile with Mayor Sandy Stimpson dropping the first $100 into a Red Kettle during the city’s annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
Maj. Mark Brown of the Salvation Army of Coastal Alabama said bell ringers would begin appearing at locations throughout the area over the following weeks, with many stationed outside area Walmart stores, a familiar sight during the holiday shopping season for longtime Mobile residents.
The Red Kettle Campaign funds holiday meals for homeless individuals and families in need, while also supporting the Salvation Army’s year-round programs across the region. Officials with the organization laid out several ways area residents can contribute during the campaign.
Donors can simply drop cash or change into a Red Kettle stationed near a bell ringer at retail locations throughout the Mobile area. For those who don’t come across a kettle in person, the Salvation Army also operates an Online Red Kettle available around the clock, where individuals can donate directly or set up a personal or team fundraising kettle of their own. The organization also said it was actively recruiting volunteers interested in serving as bell ringers throughout the season.
The Red Kettle tradition dates back to December 1891, when the Salvation Army in San Francisco sought a way to fund a free Christmas dinner for needy residents in the area. According to the organization’s own history, a captain with the San Francisco chapter recalled a donation pot he had seen used in England during his years as a sailor and placed a similar pot at the Oakland ferry landing so it would be visible to as many passersby as possible. The method of collecting spare change and donations caught on quickly and has since spread to communities across the world, including the annual campaign now underway in Mobile.
Local Salvation Army officials say funds raised through kettles in the Mobile area go directly toward serving families and individuals in Mobile County, supporting emergency shelter, addiction recovery programs and youth services throughout the coming year.